Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Last week, Safe Ireland, working with 39 front-line services, presented a new report, Tracking the Shadow Pandemic, which traces the prevalence of domestic abuse and coercive control during the months from March - the start of the first lockdown - to August. The figures are stark. Over the six-month period, 3,450 women and 589 children contacted a domestic violence service for the first time. Almost 34,000 helpline calls were answered, which is an average of 184 a day.

During the six months from March to August, 1,351 requests for refuge could not be met. Although service providers worked tirelessly to find accommodation in the community, one of the main reasons many women do not leave an abusive relationship is the shortage of available and affordable accommodation that could rehouse victims of abuse at short notice. According to the Council of Europe, it is recommended there should be one refuge place per 10,000 people, meaning there should be 446 refuge places in Ireland, whereas there are only 143 currently, and even fewer due to Covid. This is simply not good enough and it must be addressed as a matter of priority by the Government. Otherwise, the number of women who suffer domestic abuse will continue to rise.

It should also be noted that not everybody in an abusive situation requires a refuge but they need options to live free from a violent partner. Housing is the key requirement that needs to be made available to those fleeing domestic abuse. One in four women become homeless as a result of domestic abuse. In my constituency of Cavan-Monaghan, there is a severe lack of emergency accommodation available to at-risk women, as mentioned by Deputy Niamh Smyth. Although it is a large rural constituency, it does not have a single refuge and there are only three staff employed to assist vulnerable women across the two counties. Undoubtedly, it is one of the worst funded areas for domestic violence supports, a situation that cannot be allowed to continue.

I commend the service provided by Tearmann Domestic Violence Services, which is excellent in the support it gives. However, like all domestic violence services, it is at its wits' end dealing with the level of contacts it is receiving.

Safe Ireland recommended in its prebudget submission that €7.5 million was needed for domestic violence services. Some €61 million in additional funding has been allocated to Tusla, and while that does not come under the remit of the Minister for Justice, I ask whether any of this funding will be earmarked for Safe Ireland. Within the Department of Justice, €2.7 million in what is called additional funding has already been allocated to the new strategy, Supporting a Victim’s Journey, a plan to help victims and vulnerable witnesses in sexual violence cases. Again, domestic violence services may be included in this but there is no clarity yet and they are looking for clarity in order to sustain current services and plan for services going forward.

Funding is allocated to awareness training, which is very important. People need to be informed early of the signs of controlling and coercive behaviour. If somebody is continually contacting a person, it is not because they are madly in love - it is because they want to know exactly where the person is at every moment in time. If a relationship is working, one partner should not fear the other. Arguments, which every couple will have, should be about an issue and not become personal or aggressive. Nobody should be walking on eggshells in a relationship.

In addition, Safe Ireland has consistently looked for a resourced national service development plan to be led by Safe Ireland in consultation with front-line services. This service development plan would be the start of a comprehensive national and long-term response to the enormous everyday problem of domestic abuse and coercive control.

See this speech in context