A STATUTORY AGENCY dedicated to tackling and reducing domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) has been established. 

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee commenced the Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence Agency Act yesterday, which establishes the agency, called Cuan, in law from today.

‘Cuan’ is an Irish word meaning a safe haven, harbour or place of shelter.

The creation of the agency was a commitment in the ‘Zero Tolerance’ national strategy on DSGBV, which was published in June 2022. Recruitment of a chief executive of the agency began in September last year. 

The Department said Cuan will work with existing NGOs and DSGBV services “to ensure that the best possible services are in place to meet the needs of victims and survivors”.

The agency is tasked with coordinating and reporting on the delivery of Government strategies relating to DSGBV, including the current National Strategy.

It will lead on research to inform DSGBV policy development, working with others, such as the Central Statistics Office, who have research and data projects underway.

Cuan will be responsible for supporting and overseeing the doubling of refuge accommodation, and ensuring the delivery of services to victims and persons at risk of domestic violence, including helpline and other supports. 

It will also develop standards for funded DSGBV services in collaboration with the sector, and monitor adherence to these standards by funded service providers.

The agency is also tasked with leading on awareness campaigns designed to reduce the incidence of domestic violence in Irish society as well as ensuring that all victims know the full range of supports available and how to access them. 

It will liaise with the Justice Minister and the Department to ensure that the work of the Agency aligns with overall Government DSGBV policy.

Announcing the agency’s establishment, McEntee said it was a “hugely significant moment”.

“Both the DSGBV sector and the Government have accepted that the State needs to intensify and better integrate its response across all relevant areas – from policy coordination to strategy, from research to education and raising awareness – to help ensure victims of DSGBV have access to services of a consistently high standard,” she said.

“These responsibilities and more will be the focus of the work done at Cuan in the months and years ahead, with the core functions identified by the DSGBV sector as part of the co-design process.”

McEntee said the establishment of Cuan is “a crucial step in our plan for zero tolerance of domestic, sexual and gender based violence in Ireland” and thanked everyone who helped to establish the agency.

In December, the Garda National Protective Services Bureau (GNPSC) said it had received more than 54,000 complaints of domestic violence in 2023, an increase of 8% compared to the previous year.

Detective Superintendent Sinéad Greene said gardaí continue to see a marked increase in the number of people coming forward and reporting domestic abuse.

She said the increase in reporting is “a truer reflection of what we’re seeing in society”.

“More and more people are coming forward and reporting domestic abuse. More and more people are having the trust and confidence in the gardaí when they’re reporting domestic abuse and I think that’s reflected of that 8% increase,” she said.