The Government recognises the importance of the United Nations Committee against Torture (UNCAT) and the recommendations arising from the engagement process that occurred earlier this year with that committee.
The second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence 2016-2021 was published in January 2016. The publication of the strategy was welcomed by UNCAT in its concluding observations on the second periodic report of Ireland. The second National Strategy is a whole of Government response to such violence. The strategy’s timebound actions are structured around three high level goals, the first of which is concerned with raising awareness, education and training.
There are a number of actions in the strategy relating to training. The UNCAT recommendations contained in its concluding observations underlines the importance of the full implementation of these actions. Action 1.500 commits public sector agencies working in the area of domestic and gender-based violence - An Garda Síochána, the Courts Service, the Probation Service, Tusla and the HSE - to develop and deliver training to staff dealing with domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Action 1.600 commits Tusla to develop strategic approaches to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence training within Tusla. Under Action 1.700, Cosc – the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence - has liaised with the Committee for Judicial Studies to raise awareness among the judiciary. The previous Chief Justice advised my predecessor that the judiciary are very aware of the needs of victims, and have received training or information in the area of the rights, support and protection of a range of victims of crime, and anticipated further seminars and conferences for the judiciary on these issues. Action 1.800 commits the Law Society, the Bar Council and King’s Inns to develop and deliver initial training and developmental training for continual delivery to legal practitioners.
As the Deputy will be aware the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is independent in the exercise of her statutory functions. I have been informed that since July 2015 all domestic violence files submitted to the DPP by An Garda Síochána have been fully collated to allow for a holistic analysis of offences. This analysis has underpinned training of prosecutors – both decision makers in the DPP's office and lawyers prosecuting cases in the District Court in Dublin. I am also advised that, coinciding with the enactment of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017, presentations were delivered to prosecutors, including State solicitors, by the Head of Prosecutions and the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions.
The implementation of the actions in the Strategy are subject to formal monitoring twice yearly by a monitoring committee comprising of non-governmental agencies and state organisations.
