Calls to streamline funding for sexual violence services across Cork

Calls have been made for a more “streamlined” funding pipeline for sexual violence-based services across Cork, following the opening of a targeted funding call by Cuan, the national agency for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan announced the opening of the funding call last week, which will be accepting applications until August 4.

The call forms part of the delivery of the €67m provided to Cuan in Budget 2025, which included €7m in additional funding for new refuge provision, expanded services, and sectoral research.

INNOVATION

A total of €3.2m is being made available through this call to support service expansion and innovation.

Proposals that include expanding adolescent counselling for sexual violence, improving service access for marginalised or underserved groups, strengthening helplines and frontline training, and developing prevention work, including perpetrator programmes will be welcomed.

Mary Crilly, founder and chief executive of the Sexual Violence Centre in Cork city, said that while she was pleased to see the announcement, she would like to see a deeper commitment to sustain an ongoing funding stream for domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence services.

“We are hopeful that we will get some funding [under this scheme] because some of the projects we are involved in can’t continue without it,” 

said Ms Crilly.

“You have to nearly scrape for funding for anything else other than awareness-raising like education and training — which is just as important as counselling.

“This funding is important, it can be used for different things — I do welcome it, but I know it will be a competition to see who gets what. We will absolutely be applying for funding, we are inundated with projects that we need separate funding for, that you can’t just drop.

“The funding will help us to continue what we’re doing. There’s never been a time in my 40 years where we’ve known what funding we’re getting.

“It’s not the same year-on-year, and at this stage it needs to be more streamlined — it needs to be committed; if you’re applying for funding, that you get it for the next few years.”

All applications to the fund must be submitted via the Cuan Hub, which is the agency’s centralised online platform for service planning, funding, and reporting.

Full details of the eligibility criteria, assessment process, and submission requirements are also available on this platform.

A link and related documentation for the targeted funding call will be issued by Cuan.