Ms Caitríona Gleeson:

It is a very good question. We are in the middle of research at the moment into risk assessment practice and investigation of crime. It is clear that we do not have any protocols for the first responders, be they gardaí or social workers, with regard to domestic violence involving adults and children. Given the risk of further crime and the increased danger when someone first comes forward to disclose information, the focus of the responder needs to be on the protection and safety of the victim, the mother or the child, and on the recording of the evidence presented. The research demonstrates that plenty of evidence can be collected without our being reliant on the primary witness, namely the victim, but this is not happening.

We were at the Garda crime victims' forum on Monday and there were very positive soundings from the Garda Commissioner on the progress they are making in this area. SAFE Ireland is very happy to link up with the new protective unit within the Garda Síochána but it is a very complex area. I would be loth to ask a garda to go to a scene and fill out a five-page form but I would love the garda to have an automatic checklist and to be equipped with the information already on the system and the history of previous incidents. I cannot begin to describe how, on the ground, the basics are not being taken care of. The policy in the Garda Síochána does not explicitly mention risk assessment but such an approach is implied and it is not being applied systematically across the country. We only have small pockets of good practice.

We are also loth to focus just on gardaí. There is no linked-up system. We have been working with one of our European partners in Austria, where there is an automatic statutory requirement for a garda to refer a case to the support service when he or she attends a scene. The support service is then obliged to contact the victim and the victim can then opt in or out.

These are basic things but we do not have them in place.