Elish Kelly

Sexual violence, and more broadly gender-based violence (GBV), is a pervasive global issue. In this report, data from the 2022 Sexual Violence Survey (SVS), collected by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), are used to examine patterns of victimisation1 among those that have experienced adult sexual violence in Ireland.2 In order to prevent sexual violence and to provide, and target, supports to those who are victims of such violence, a better understanding of the patterns of victimisation is needed. This study surveys the relevant literature and presents descriptive and multivariable regression analyses of the main factors associated with adult sexual violence in Ireland. The factors examined include sex, age, sexual orientation, level of education, country of birth, disability (at the time of the survey) and relationship status, as well as urbanisation and level of deprivation of the area in which they live. The analysis undertaken is based on responses from over 4,000 individuals aged 18 and above, who completed the SVS between May and December 2022. The research was carried out under a programme of research funded by Cuan, the statutory domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) agency.

Sexual violence (SV), and gender-based violence (GBV) more generally, is a pervasive global problem. While women and girls are most affected, sexual violence affects all sections of society, with profound consequences for the physical, psychological and economic wellbeing of both victims and their families. In Ireland, the recently established statutory agency Cuan co-ordinates and drives the implementation of Zero Tolerance, the third national strategy for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV). In this context, Cuan and the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) have established a joint research programme to provide evidence to inform DSGBV policy development. The purpose of this report, the first in a series of reports from the research programme, is to provide an overview of the national and international data and research on adult sexual violence, with a particular focus on identifying the definitional and measurement issues that need to be considered when making comparisons of prevalence and incidence rates1 over time and between countries.

Policy evaluation is an essential tool of government as it ensures that the objectives of policies and programmes are being met and that tax revenues are being well spent. In many instances, policy evaluation involves using standard counterfactual analysis to measure the impact of a programme on a well-defined outcome variable, for example, the change in unemployment rates following the introduction of a wage subsidy offered to firms hiring persons on the Live Register. However, in many policy areas with wide-ranging and cross-cutting objectives, standard counterfactual analysis is not possible and policy evaluation takes the form of monitoring changes in key performance indicators (KPIs) that are linked to specific policy objectives or general well-being levels. Given the large-scale budgets associated with rural and community development, it is essential that Ireland’s data infrastructure is sufficient to allow for effective policy evaluation in these areas. The purpose of this study is to identify the KPIs most relevant to Irish rural development policy and to assess the extent to which these are currently available at the required spatial level.

Policy evaluation is an essential tool of government as it ensures that the objectives of policies and programmes are being met and that tax revenues are being well spent. In many instances, policy evaluation involves using standard counterfactual analysis to measure the impact of a programme on a well-defined outcome variable, for example, the change in unemployment rates following the introduction of a wage subsidy offered to firms hiring persons on the Live Register. However, in many policy areas with wide-ranging and cross-cutting objectives, standard counterfactual analysis is not possible and policy evaluation takes the form of monitoring changes in key performance indicators (KPIs) that are linked to specific policy objectives or general well-being levels. Given the large-scale budgets associated with rural and community development, it is essential that Ireland’s data infrastructure is sufficient to allow for effective policy evaluation in these areas. The purpose of this study is to identify the KPIs most relevant to Irish rural development policy and to assess the extent to which these are currently available at the required spatial level.

Using a matching framework and high-quality administrative longitudinal and survey data, we evaluate the effectiveness of a second-chance education opportunity scheme, the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA), in assisting jobseekers to find employment on completion of their course. The results from two separate datasets indicate that BTEA scheme participation had large negative consequences for subsequent employment transitions. Further analysis revealed the negative impacts are likely to be related to flaws in the BTEA scheme framework rather than deficits in the quality of the education received. These results hold when tested against the influences of sample selection and unobserved heterogeneity bias.