Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In December last I had the opportunity to speak on the Organisation of Working Time (Domestic Violence Leave) Bill, which was introduced by Sinn Féin and received support from all sides of the House. I will take the opportunity to reinforce some of the things I said on that occasion, but also to highlight some very concerning developments which have come to light in recent weeks.

We all know that abuse can take many different forms: sexual abuse, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, threats, intimidation, manipulation, neglect, financial control, domineering behaviour, coercive control and other threatening and controlling behaviours. The figures available from the National Crime Council show that one in seven women experiences severe abusive behaviour of a physical, sexual or emotional nature from a partner at some point in her life. Its survey estimated that 213,000 women had been severely abused by a partner. These figures display the extent of the problem. The figure of 213,000 will no doubt have increased since then. It is not just women who are on the receiving end of such abuse either, but it appears that men are less likely to admit vulnerability in that regard or to seek help. Plenty of work is being done to encourage men to get help, but there is still work to be done to encourage greater openness.

A couple of major problems presented in the past month with regard to domestic abuse. The first is a reported increase in the level of domestic abuse. Women's Aid reported a 43% rise in contacts with its services from 2019 to 2020. Among the difficulties being expressed is that due to lockdown and working from home, victims found it even more difficult to get away from the abusive situation. People reported being stuck with abusive partners all day, but with no money and no housing it can often seem pointless to think of leaving. We must ensure that the message and train of thought changes through making provision for victims.

The second issue concerns how disclosures of abuse have been dealt with. I shall repeat the final sentence of my speech from last December: "to those who may be currently experiencing domestic abuse ... seek help in any way they can from the gardaí, local support services, a trusted friend or family member. Do not suffer in silence." When I advised victims of domestic abuse to seek support from sources such as the gardaí, I did so in good faith in the belief that if victims of abuse contacted the Garda, they would find the help they needed. Unfortunately, recent reports show that the Garda response in a large number of cases appears to be unsatisfactory to say the least.

The news that gardaí cancelled 3,120 domestic abuse calls is hugely concerning and stomach-churning. The investigation found that only 35% of those cancelled calls were cancelled legitimately. The report says that in a further 20% of calls there was a Garda response but no official record was kept, while the remaining 45% of cancelled calls are still under investigation. I hope we will see a thorough investigation and report on the remaining 45% to identify the reasons for cancellation and the procedures put in place to prevent the problem from occurring again.

We can all see the problems with revelations like this. We have seen over many years the efforts made by support services and support groups, but campaigns to encourage people to seek help will only be successful if people are confident that the help will be available when sought. Picking up the phone to ask for help is a big step. It is often a very traumatic step and it takes a lot of courage. In the last month we have reports splashed all over the news that domestic abuse calls are being cancelled. What is the damage as a result? How many people will decide to suffer in silence rather than seek help?

In a follow-up to the news of the cancellation of domestic abuse calls, we saw news last week that the Garda had launched a follow-up investigation into more than 19,000 other cancelled emergency calls related to crimes such as sexual offences, assaults and burglaries. I hope there is some innocent explanation for all of this, and that people's cries for help were not ignored or cancelled by gardaí. Nonetheless, we need answers, because the perception is already out there now that help was not always forthcoming when required.

The gardaí involved in the cancellation of calls, not on a legitimate basis, have done a great disservice to their colleagues. We should never paint all gardaí with the same brush, but it is fundamental to the reason we need some very targeted, dedicated and visible campaigns to help to repair some of the reputational damage that reports like this will no doubt have caused.

A great many things can be done to improve the situation for sufferers of abuse and for those who commit abuse. We must recognise that in addition to punishment, in most if not all cases, the abuser needs help with rehabilitation and possibly treatment for an underlying condition which may be causing them to act in an abusive way. Even if the abuse is at such a level where the punishment is a prison sentence, we must have systems in place where the abuser is less likely to reoffend on his or her return to society at the end of the sentence. Otherwise, the punishment is just kicking the can down the road. This is a big challenge. I know work is already ongoing for the rehabilitation of offenders and perhaps we could look at ways of further supporting such rehabilitation. Whatever we do, we must make sure we have the basics right, and to me the basics include confidence in the fact that when an abuse call is put into the Garda it will be dealt with in a thorough and professional manner.

We can have numerous awareness campaigns and television ads that encourage people to seek help but, first and foremost, we must ensure that when that help is sought, it is available. When the victim of abuse shows the bravery required to pick up the phone, we must ensure there is a helpful response at the other end in order that the feeling of hopelessness ends in a positive, not a never-ending negative.

I pay tribute to those who are involved in dealing with men and women victims of domestic abuse or violence of any nature, such as Women's Aid, the Wexford Women's Refuge, Still Here and gardaí, many of whom are the only port of call for victims and have done their job to the best of their ability.

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