Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I was delighted to hear the Minister’s plans for this area and that he agrees the family court system needs a radical overhaul. Behind each of the figures released today by Women's Aid is a woman or a child living in fear of being beaten, ridiculed, abused and emotionally battered. While the Government has plans to hold a referendum to provide a unified system of family courts, there is no doubt that the family court structure is falling apart and many women involved are in great need of help. I know the Minister is holding a consultation forum in the next few months, on which I commend him.

The Women's Aid report has given us an idea of the scale of the abuse being suffered in this country. It is up to the Minister and to us in government to offer these women the protection they deserve and to facilitate them in rebuilding their shattered lives. I do not want to attend the Women's Aid annual report event again next year to hear the same or worse statistics. Let us make a real difference.

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