AN ADDITIONAL €1.5 million in funding is set to be provided to frontline services combating domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in Ireland. 

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone has announced a 10% increase in core funding for 16 organisations combating sexual violence.

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre has said the funds will help it tackle the waiting lists for its therapy and counselling services. 

There is also the provision of outreach workers in regions which have been identified as having a shortfall in services.

In addition to the 10% increase in funding to sexual violence services such as Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Zappone has proposed two new outreach workers for women and children affected by domestic violence as well as a 12-week programme for children who have been impacted by domestic abuse.

There is also a new Dublin refuge due to be opened this Autumn, as well as a specific initiative to reduce the waiting times for counselling for victims of sexual violence.

Minister Zappone has said: “We all have a role to play in ensuring the safety of those forced to flee an abusive partner, often with their children.

The funding I am now confirming is being directly targeted at frontline services.

CEO of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre Noeline Blackwell has said that the annual increase in funding will allow the centre to “provide additional resources to people who are waiting too long for therapy and counselling.”

“There has been a significant increase in the numbers seeking our help, up from about 150 a year ago to 200 now,” Blackwell said. “The real problem is that they are waiting too long and we didn’t have the funding to get extra help. We hopefully will be able to do that now.”

Blackwell added that tackling sexual violence was one of the “urgent challenges of our society which required government as well as society to take action.”

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s helpline number is 1800 77 88 88.