Mr. Dermot Gough:

Sometimes entire families have to leave their homes, or members of families. It can be heartbreaking for families when they have to send their children away for their own safety. Often, people will not leave their homes. They are proud to stay there, but they are very often living in fear. As Ms. Quigley said earlier, it is difficult to report this. People live in fear and even though their windows might be broken, they will not go to the gardaí. Therefore, these crimes are not reported. These people receive beatings. They are not severe enough to require them to go to hospital, but they are severe enough to hurt them and do serious damage. This will not be reported and the statistics are down as a result, but it is happening and it is very real for people. As Ms Quigley said, the person knows not to go any further. If someone gets a bad beating, he or she is definitely not going to report that.