Overview

• The Senate Finance Commission describes the €100 million annual allocation for gender-equality programmes as “derisory” compared with studies estimating a €3.6 billion yearly societal cost.
• Funding for Programme 137 has risen from €36.5 million in 2020 to €101.1 million in 2024, yet remains minimal amid increasing incidents of violence.
• The report criticizes a lack of strategic compass marked by overlapping plans, insufficient leadership and absence of systematic evaluation.
• Senators urge expanding measures beyond intimate-partner violence to cover other abuses, enhancing prevention and improving support for women exiting prostitution or abusive relationships.
• Official 2023 figures record 271 000 domestic violence victims and over 110 000 sexual violence victims, 85 percent of whom were women, underscoring the urgency of reform.