Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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529. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the way that the State is meeting its commitments under the Council of Europe Istanbul Convention including the provision of refuge spaces and support services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8030/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Ireland signed the Istanbul Convention in 2015 and ratified the Convention in 2019. The response to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV) is a cross Departmental and multi-agency issue with overall coordination by the Department of Justice. The Deputy may wish to ask the Minister for Justice for a more comprehensive response on how the State is meeting its commitments under the Convention.

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is working collaboratively with Government Departments and other agencies to ensure the successful implementation of objectives of the Convention. Tusla has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of DSGBV under the Child and Family Agency Act 2013.

My Department provided Tusla with an increase in core funding of DSGBV services in 2021 to €28 million and an additional €2 million of contingency funding to help services cope with the ongoing effects of Covid-19. This allows Tusla to fund 60 specialist services around the country, including 44 services providing support to victims of domestic violence, 21 of whom provide safe accommodation in refuges. I have allocated further resources to Tusla under Budget 2022 to maintain supports for DSGBV services and address the recommendations arising from Tusla’s Accommodation Review of refuge provision.

Tusla has advised that resources will continue to be used to meet obligations under the Istanbul Convention, including:

- resourcing of the 24 hour national helplines for dv including 24/7 access to translation services;

- addressing disparities in geographical coverage of services;

- delivering additional services to targeted groups at risk;

- provision of therapeutic programmes and access to dedicated supports for all children in refuges;

- establishing additional regional hubs for men experiencing domestic violence.

On the provision of refuge spaces, the Istanbul Convention sets out signatory obligations but does not set out a single standard or recommended number of refuge spaces. Article 23 specifically refers to shelters, which should be accessible and “in sufficient numbers” to provide a place of refuge to victims.

Tusla’s ‘Review of the Provision of Accommodation for Victims of Domestic Violence’ has been completed. The Review assesses the current and requisite distribution of safe emergency accommodation and has examined the current level of refuge provision, evidence of demand for services and unmet need, and analysis of proximity to refuge by local communities. The Review identifies priority locations that would give an improved level of cover in terms of distance from safe accommodation.

The Accommodation Review will assist the whole of Government response in supporting victims of DSGBV and future expansion of services. The Government will engage with Tusla, Non-Government Organisations, that play a key role in this area and Agencies to progress work in this area. It is important that the needs of those who experience domestic violence are met in the most appropriate way possible.