Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I want to join in the call to provide statutory entitlement to domestic violence paid leave. It is a practical intervention that responds to the needs of victims and survivors of domestic abuse. Safe Ireland has rightly called domestic violence an ongoing epidemic and only last week we learned that the Garda responded to almost 50,000 incidents of domestic abuse last year, an increase of 10%. Support providers, even down to local rural ones like West Cork Women Against Domestic Violence, have seen significant rises in the number of calls they are receiving. Cultural and social changes are essential but we need to bring every measure, resource and focus the State can muster to respond to the epidemic. For too long domestic violence has been treated as a private matter which does not impact on work life and we know that is not true. Domestic abuse and violence result in unimaginable physical and psychological impacts which affect all aspects of people’s lives. Financial abuse is a real but under-reported feature of domestic abuse. The National Women’s Council of Ireland highlighted that 94% of survivors experience financial abuse and that employment sabotage is experienced by 78% of survivors. Deputy O’Reilly’s Bill recognises those issues and the realities faced by women and children in trying to escape violent and coercive situations.

I have a few questions so if there is time I would like to come back in with more. Could the Deputy outline why the Bill is related to the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997? It seems the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth described this as not being the best vehicle for such a scheme during the Second Stage debate, which the Deputy disagreed with. Could the Deputy elaborate on that?