Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Bill. Gabhaim buíochas le Sinn Féin as ucht an mBille seo a chur os comhair na Dála. Táim sásta nach bhfuil an Rialtas ag cur ina choinne. Is maith an rud é sin agus is céim chun cinn dearfach í. Áfach, seo an dara uair laistigh de trí sheachtain go bhfuilimid ag caint faoi fhoréigean baile. Cuireann sé olc orm go bhfuilimid fós ag caint faoi gan beart a dhéanamh agus gan dul i ngleic leis an bhfadhb seo. Ag eascair as an bhfadhb seo, tá impleachtaí tromchúiseacha do na mná, do na páistí, do na clainne agus don gheilleagar i gcoitinne. Tá sé ráite go mion minic agam, taobh amuigh den chostas ó thaobh cúrsaí síceolaíochta agus cúrsaí sláinte, tá costas i gceist don gheilleagar de €2.5 billiún in aghaidh na bliana gach bliain.

I welcome the opportunity to take part in this debate and thank Sinn Féin for bringing it forward. It concerns one aspect of a subject that we need to tackle because of the damage it does. It is insidious on every level to women - primarily, they are women - children, families and the economy. The figure I mention repeatedly, of €2.5 billion every year, has a staggering impact on the economy. This is our second debate on domestic violence in three weeks. On the previous occasion, there were statements, including from the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and she gave us a written copy of her contribution, and now we are debating the Bill. Nevertheless, we are still talking about it and we do not have enough basic refuge spaces. The most basic thing, if we are serious about tackling domestic violence, is to have to enough safe places, because that is one of the major hindrances to dealing with domestic violence. The second is economic dependence and Sinn Féin's Bill deals partly with that, which I welcome. I acknowledge the bona fides of both Ministers but those bona fides will be sorely tested if they do not act.

Three audits have been promised, one of which will be conducted by Tusla, although I am not sure why it is necessary because we know there is a shortage of spaces. I am not sure why it will take a few months for the agency to do it but I welcome the fact that it is going to examine what spaces are necessary. There will also be reviews of the Bill and of the fragmentation of the services, which the Minister indicated will be completed in March. I welcome all that as long as it is done with a view to urgent action and to dealing with domestic violence. It must make clear that we will not put up with this, that it is simply not acceptable and that we will take the necessary steps to deal with it.

The UN Secretary General has talked about the surge in domestic violence, and for me, his words caught the way that we have treated domestic violence. He called for a ceasefire, as if that would be helpful or as if those words would appeal to any man's ears. On the other hand, he called for urgent action. It captures for me the constant contradiction in every government's approach to domestic violence. I hope the Minister will make a difference and I acknowledge she has put it at the top of her list. I will work with her, monitor her and force her to deal with domestic violence. We have to deal with it because we cannot even begin to talk about gender equality or an economy that is thriving when that level of violence is going on.

We were told at the previous meeting of the joint policing committee in Galway that there has been a 37% increase in the number of domestic incidents the county. I wish they would stop using words such as "domestic incidents". They minimise what we are talking about. There was no follow-up, not because the Garda was at fault but because there was nothing it could do. Part of that problem is that there is no place for the women to go to. There is a complete shortage of spaces. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Claire Loftus, stated there has been an 87% increase thus far this year in the number of files submitted to her office. Some 3,500 women contacted a domestic violence service for the first time during the initial lockdown. We have all these figures.

I do not like repetition but I reiterate that I really want to see action after the release of the three various reports. The most basic thing would be to roll out enough refuge spaces as the most minimum requirement.

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