Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Deputy Cairns. There have been a number of devastating stories in recent months, including some of the cases the Minister has referenced. There are so many of them, and the 25% rise in the number of calls tells us that is probably just the tip of the iceberg.

People, mostly women, but also men and children, are stuck in lockdown with their abuser. There is none of the usual respite, whether school, work or another activity, that would allow them to get away. I cannot even begin to imagine what that must be like. It is important to note that abuse does not always take the form of physical and sexual violence. Sometimes there is extreme emotional, mental and financial abuse that erodes a person's confidence and chips away at his or her sense of self, whatever form the abuse takes. We often ask people, mostly women, to take sizeable steps when their confidence is at its lowest. These include leaving their home and taking their children out of school and away from friends.

Any response to this has to put the victim at the centre. The Minister indicated that the abuser should be the one to leave the family home. The relationship is often so unequal that the situation becomes untenable without support. Those of us who are public representatives and have ample experience, from long before the lockdown, of people presenting know that they often present with very different issues, such as housing, matters relating to children and social welfare queries. It quickly becomes evident that there is an underlying reason, which is most often some form of domestic violence or abuse. Shocking as the statistics are, they are probably only a snapshot of the overall reality of what is occurring and remains unreported. It is easy to look in from the outside and make grandiose statements. I often hear people ask why a person did not just walk away. There is a good reason that a person will walk away up to seven times before staying away.

Where a myriad of services are available, it is practical to walk away. This is why measures such as the one recently announced by the Minister of Employment and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, were practical and made a difference. Going on a housing waiting list where one's name is attached to the title on a house can be problematic. That kind of thing makes people stop and think, and they may decide not to take the step they need to take. Real life, practical measures are worth a lot and it is essential that we put them in place. In many cases, it is only the woman who leaves home, as children may also be involved, and other matters may be in play. I acknowledge the refuge services that are available, limited though they are, and the outreach services provided by those refuges, which are often as important as the refuge itself in putting a strategy for safety in place and giving confidence to victims of domestic violence to the point that they feel they can leave. While this costs money, the cost of not doing this is much higher given the impact of abuse on the victim.

Last week, we saw the most horrific case of the O'Reilly family who experienced a lifetime of abuse. It took a great deal of bravery to come forward and I commend the sisters on doing that. The point was made that what happened may well have been because they were from the Traveller community. They have a double disadvantage. Let us acknowledge that. The truth is that there have been plenty of high profile, horrific cases outside the Traveller community to which State agencies have, collectively, taken a blind eye. I hope we learn from this high profile case.

There is a "mind your own business" culture in Ireland with regard to family and marital issues. An important issue is perhaps how we classify things. Is domestic abuse or domestic violence the most appropriate description? It is assault. It probably does not hurt any less. We need to consider that. One of my staff had cause to dial 999 about a violent assault that she witnessed and the dispatcher queried whether it was an assault or a domestic incident. That may have been for good reason but my staff member queried why that mattered. A woman was being viciously beaten and my staff member was told that the response would be decided according to classification. That was the first time I had come across that approach. If that is done, it needs to be considered. As I said, outreach is important. There needs to be sufficient funding for that kind of core service, for which funds often need to be raised. This is a practical measure that could make a significant difference.

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