Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 July 2017
593. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to commission a second sexual abuse and violence in Ireland study; the communications he has had with other Departments from which funding for this study would be divided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36639/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, a formal proposal for a replication of the Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland (SAVI) survey submitted by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre recognised that, given the significant budget, (i.e. €1m), funding would be divided between four Departments - the Departments of Justice and Equality, Children and Youth Affairs, Education and Skills, and Health. My predecessor wrote to the relevant Ministers on this matter and expressed her support for the project. The responses received make the viability of funding the project, as proposed, unlikely.
However, my Department continues to examine the fiscal feasibility and resource implications for undertaking a SAVI 2 study and to explore obligations with regard to the necessary public procurement arrangements. I am sure the Deputy will accept that, as stated previously, the right balance must be struck between the funding of front-line services and providing for research. My Department has recently contacted the Department of Health and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs on this matter where they again indicated their support for the project, in principle, but their lack of resources to part fund the project.
There are other sources of statistics that can be accessed. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) 2014 pan-European survey report on violence against women has the advantage of providing the possibility of data comparisons with each of the other 27 member states of the EU. Discussions have begun at a Eurostat level to explore the possibility of some form of replication of the FRA survey. There is also the June 2016 pan-European Eurobarometer survey on perceptions, attitudes and awareness of gender-based violence. Figures on sexual violence in Ireland are also available from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, the Rape Crisis Network Ireland, the Central Statistics Office / An Garda Síochána, the Courts Service and Sexual Assault Treatment Units.
In addition, the Central Statistics Office are to explore the feasibility of including a module on sexual violence in its next roll-out of its crime and victimisation survey. If it becomes an ongoing element of data gathering in CSO’s crime and victimisation survey, the information gleaned from this work will provide indications of trends over time of peoples’ experiences of such violence.
