Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy O'Connor for sharing time with me. The refuge in Kildare has not yet opened so I cannot wax lyrical about the situation. However, I am pleased to have this opportunity to contribute to this debate on domestic violence, and to support the Government's amendment. Like Deputy O'Connor, I congratulate our Sinn Féin colleagues for proposing this motion as it highlights a most serious problem in society.

Domestic violence is not just an Irish phenomenon. The World Health Organisation, in a report in 2005, described domestic violence as the most common form of violence in women's lives. The international experience is that a woman is statistically more likely to be abused by a partner than by a stranger or casual acquaintance. The same disturbing report suggests that women are more at risk of assault in the home than on the street.

The National Crime Council study, concluded in conjunction with the ESRI, gives us the most recent relevant Irish data, which suggests that nearly one in seven women, and about 6% of men, have experienced serious sexual, mental, or physical abuse in a domestic setting. The same report identified a strong pattern of non-disclosure on the part of the victims, with 33% failing to discuss their abuse or torture with either family or friends. From experience in my constituency work, it appears that the persistent male abuser, more often than not, manages to isolate his victimised partner from family and friends, lest she would overcome the shame which many women experience when beset by this crime against them and confide in somebody.

When one considers the veil of secrecy and shame which all too often hides the damage done to individuals and children, as a result of domestic violence, we can appreciate the vital work that is done by groups such as Women's Aid, which recently made an impressive presentation to the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights. Women's Aid, through its national free phone helpline, provides what amounts to a genuine lifeline to many abused women. Its one-to-one confidential support and advocacy service is vital.

The Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime provided €270,000 to groups, such as Women's Aid, which provide accompaniment services to women going to court in cases such as these. This type of service is absolutely necessary and should continue to receive the required funding, as it is only when the victims are prepared to go to court that the perpetrators can finally be brought to account for their dastardly and cowardly deeds. One stunning statistic emerges when considering this issue. Women who find the courage to report domestic violence against them are 70% more likely to experience worse assaults in the aftermath of such disclosure. This international statistic poses a real challenge that goes beyond politics and government to how society can protect some of its most vulnerable members. Women's groups have asked for the legislation in this area to be strengthened. Notwithstanding the merits of the Domestic Violence Acts, there is considerable merit in the suggestion that the legislation should be revisited in examining in detail how safety orders and barring orders are applied so they may have more widespread application.

The Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, set out the considerable work and variety of initiatives engaged in by the Garda Síochána in the battle against domestic violence. It is generally acknowledged that the force has a comprehensive policy in place. Despite this, women's groups have reported that not all experiences are positive and the force's pro-arrest policy is not always implemented. Equally worrying are the figures which suggest that while the incidents of domestic violence reported to the Women's Aid helpline increased by 37% between 2003 and 2005, the level of such reporting to the Garda decreased by 35%.

One key aim of the Government is to heighten public awareness of the dreadful crime of domestic violence. We must strive to insure there is a consistently high level of awareness of the problem within the Garda and an equally consistent application of best practice in the area. It is worth noting that a 1999 Law Society report found, perhaps unsurprisingly, that there was a considerable variation among judges in their approach to aspects of this crime and the evidence they deemed sufficient to grant a protection order.

Children who witness violence in the home are seeing, hearing and learning about violence. Research has shown that children who see domestic violence in their life carry a greater risk of being either a victim or a perpetrator of domestic violence in their adult life, thus continuing the cycle of domestic violence. Domestic violence causes a range of symptoms in a child, such as poor interpersonal skills, low self-esteem, eating disorders, a reduction in cognitive ability and severe lack of sleep. Children can feel guilty, believing they are the direct cause of the violence, and can feel inadequate about not being able to prevent the violence from happening. More profoundly, children in such circumstances can sometimes resort to acts of violence themselves, through acts of aggression and bullying in and outside the school. The Department of Education and Science has a key role to play in addressing the problem by including in its SPHE programmes modules that address the culture of anger and violence, which can dominate some intimate partner relationship.

I commend the amendment to the House.

See this speech in context