Legislation to establish a statutory agency to combat domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) will be introduced in the Dáil by the end of this month, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has said.
Recruitment of a chief executive of the new agency, which is due to begin operating in January, will also begin this month, Ms McEntee said. Candidates for the position will have three weeks to submit their applications to the Public Appointments Service following the opening of the competition.
The creation of the agency was a commitment in Zero Tolerance, the third national strategy on DSGBV, published last year.
The agency will be responsible for planning, co-ordinating and monitoring the development of refuge accommodation; providing support, including financial assistance, for the delivery of services to victims and persons at risk of DSGBV; developing standards for funded services, and monitoring compliance; co-ordinating the delivery of relevant Government strategies and plans; delivering public campaigns aimed at raising awareness of DSGBV and reducing its prevalence; and carrying out ongoing research to support the development of future policies and programmes.
The agency will also be mandated to engage and consult with the DSGBV sector and other stakeholders, Ms McEntee said.
“I am committed to our goal of having zero tolerance of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence and am determined to deliver real reforms which last,” she said. “Recent Garda figures show the majority of homicides in this country have had a domestic abuse motivation. Unfortunately, we are all sadly familiar with all too regular stories of abuse and violence against women.”
The programme for government recognised gender-based violence as an “epidemic” she said.
“We have responded strongly with the zero-tolerance strategy, which commits to an enhanced and joined-up Government response to tackling these crimes and to supporting victims and survivors.
“This will be done, as it is now, in close partnership with the organisations who work on the front line. I’ve also passed tough new laws, such as increasing the maximum sentence for assault causing harm – one of the most common offences in domestic abuse – from five years to 10 years.”
