Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like the Chairman, I welcome Ms Brown and Ms Corcoran and compliment them on their work in their local communities. Their presence today has helped to create a greater awareness of very difficult issues among public representatives and, hopefully, the wider society. Ms Brown mentioned issues that confront many individuals and families. She also mentioned that "hidden" violence is not adequately reported. If issues are not adequately reported or there is a lack of awareness then they will not be tackled. Therefore, it is important that the delegation had this opportunity, and has the same opportunity at other fora, to outline the difficulties, challenges and the need to provide adequate services for people.

I accept the excellent point made by Ms Brown that sometimes people who are vulnerable or in difficult circumstances are reluctant to go to an institutional building that is associated with a major State and statutory organisation. I presume that when she talked about a family justice centre that she was talking about services being provided in a more supportive environment. Did she mean that there should be a service for the community, not just a State imposed service? Does she want a family justice centre to be in one building and providing a number of services ranging from health to other supports? Does she want it modelled on another family justice centre? Having read the presentation I understood that the family justice centre would be the first of its kind in Europe? Did she model it on another centre? Is it a greenfield idea by the group?

Obviously adequate funding should be provided. I presume that some services are already being provided by the State. Does Ms Brown hope to bring them in under the family justice centre umbrella? If so, there would be better co-ordination and outturn from the point of view of the service provider and the service recipient. Another tranche of funding will be available from PEACE IV programme to deal with issues and legacy issues. Ms Brown mentioned legacy cases and that some of the incidents were 30 years old or older. Has the group sought funding for new facilities or whatever from the special European Union programme? I have listened to the presentation.

It is the sort of project we should support that would make a difference on a daily basis to people who are obviously in a difficult position.

I compliment Ms Browne and Ms Corcoran on their work, which is very important, in an area that must be adequately resourced. I come across domestic violence as a representative of a large rural constituency like Cavan-Monaghan but not to the extent that might happen in more urban areas. That is the make-up of the constituency but there are incidents of domestic violence, although not to the extent outlined today.