State seeks CEO for agency to tackle gender-based violence

Justice Minister Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris at Saturday's unveiling of An Garda Síochána Monument of Remembrance at Garda Headquarters in Dublin. Picture: Niall Carson/PA 

The State is to advertise within weeks for a chief executive for its new agency to tackle domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence.

It comes as Justice Minister Helen McEntee sought Cabinet approval last week for the text of the legislation to establish the new agency, which has been promised as part of the Government’s ‘zero tolerance’ approach to gender-based violence.

Functions

The agency’s functions will include planning, co- ordinating, and monitoring the development of refuge accommodation, providing support, including financial assistance, for the delivery of services to victims, and delivering public campaigns aimed at raising awareness of domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence and reducing its prevalence.

It will also have the role of developing standards for services and monitoring compliance as well as carrying out ongoing research to support the development of future policies and programmes.

Structure

The chief executive of the agency will be appointed to a fixed-term contract by Ms McEntee following open competition and the position will be advertised by the end of the month.

Whoever takes on the role will be answerable to the justice minister. The board will also be appointed by the minister and will include a chairperson and six ordinary members with experience in the area.

Members of the board will be appointed for a period of either three or four years after which the minister may reappoint a member for a further period subject to no board member serving more than seven years in total.

'This is an epidemic'

“Recent Garda figures show the majority of homicides in this country have had a domestic abuse motivation,” Ms McEntee said. “Unfortunately, we are all sadly familiar with all too regular stories of abuse and violence against women.

“The programme for government rightly recognises this an epidemic — and I am determined to use my time as minister for justice to put in place reforms and structures that will tackle domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence and the attitudes which underpin it.”

In carrying out its work, the agency will also be mandated to engage and consult appropriately with other stakeholders.

Following engagement with State bodies and the Department of Children and Tusla a decision was made to transfer the responsibility for funding of the services from Tusla to the new agency.

Ms McEntee added: “We have listened, we have consulted, we have researched, and I strongly believe this dedicated agency will be a success and will make a positive difference to the many lives devastated by these forms of violence and abuse.”

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The bill is expected to be published at the end of the month and will be introduced to the Oireachtas with the aim of securing enactment before the end of the year.

The Government launched its ‘zero tolerance’ plan last June and has changed the law in several areas such as 'revenge porn', threatening to post intimate images on social media.

Ms McEntee has also passed laws to increase the maximum sentence for assault causing harm from five years to 10 years.

She has also made changes to allow courts to prevent an accused from cross-examining the alleged victim in cases of coercive control and other gender-based crimes.