Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This debate is hollow and meaningless, as the Government has consistently failed to address key issues concerning domestic and gender-based violence over the last year. The ongoing lack of action by the Government is both worrying and pathetic. For example, there is a disgraceful delay in publishing two reports which aim to highlight the grave nature of the situation and utter lack of provision of services and emergency accommodation to assist sufferers of domestic and gender-based violence. This House continues to have statements on domestic and gender-based violence but there is an ongoing failure on the part of the Government to address the issues raised time and again. During the pandemic, there has been a horrific increase in domestic violence.

The physical, spiritual and social cost of domestic violence is shocking. The economic cost is €2.2 billion. I salute An Garda Síochána in Tipperary, including Sergeant Ray Moloney, Sergeant Kieran O'Regan in Clonmel, Garda Claire Murphy, and the community gardaí in Cahir, Jenny Coff and Noel Clavin. When the new sexual violence unit was set up in Tipperary, it was far oversubscribed and needed two sergeants and ten gardaí. The gardaí are zealous and want to do their job, which is fabulous, but it has been blocked institutionally. Many State organisations are blocking it. Commissioner Drew Harris has to take responsibility. I salute the staff in Cuan Saor women's refuge in Clonmel, including Geraldine Mullane, Verona Nugent, Breeda Bell and many others, as well as all the volunteers who help.

Some 3,120 calls to 999 about domestic violence were cancelled, which is despicable and shocking. Problems are continuing, including in the Prison Service. There was a story in the Irish Examinertoday about a solicitor and what she was expected to do when she went in to meet a client. The harassment, coercion, intimidation and victimisation of decent prison officers that is being carried out by the cabal that runs some of our prisons is disgusting. I have raised it here before, as has Deputy Peadar Tóibín. We have spoken and written to the Minister. I have written to the Minister and may as well write to Clew Bay or Bray Head because I have not got a response. There is an institutional cover-up of the bullying and intimidation of good, decent prison officers. They are coerced, have false allegations and smear campaigns against them, and have letters sent to their homes making scandalous allegations. The prison authorities and the Minister for Justice refuse to deal with this. Some of this is done against female prison officers too. It is done by a power-hungry group that wants to keep control. That is systemic in our society and Government Departments refuse to deal with it, since it is supposed to be okay because it is institutional. It is not acceptable to drive people demented, to drive them to suicide or to drive good prison officers out of their jobs. This needs to be investigated. Reports and statements here are no good. Proper, robust legislation is required to allow the gardaí to do their job.

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