Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill today. It seeks to make changes to how the State deals with DSGBV. The establishment of a stand-alone agency to deal with these issues is well overdue. I note, however, that there were concerns at pre-legislative scrutiny stage. I hope they can and will be addressed.

The transfer of powers and resources away from Tusla should allow it to operate as it was intended and allow Tusla to focus on its remit.

While this issue is back under the remit of the Department of Justice, we still need an holistic approach throughout various Departments. A dedicated statutory body for the delivery of refuge accommodation has long been needed. By the end of 2022, we had seen an increase of only 36 new places opened since prior to Covid. I note that, last summer, it was reported the Minister, Deputy McEntee, said there would be 100 new places in domestic violence accommodation by the end of this year. This must come to pass. We need to see more action in line with the commitments made in the programme for Government.

The State has previously faced heavy criticism for breaching the Istanbul Convention when it comes to refuge places. We must do much better in this area. People in need of these crisis intervention services deserve better. It is welcome that the agency will be given powers of oversight when it comes to policy implementation. We are all too used to the Government producing documents only for their contents to be ignored. Giving this agency oversight should mark a change in attitude from the Government in terms of backing up with actual resources the recommendations made in reports.

The Bill gives the agency powers to raise awareness through public campaigns. This can only help to break down the stigma. Having staff in the agency with a sole focus on campaigning can only lead to positive outcomes further down the line and should increase confidence in victims and their abilities to reach out and seek support. According to the website of Safe Ireland, one in three women has experienced psychological violence from a partner at some point in their lives. One in six women has experienced physical or sexual violence by a partner. One in four women has experienced physical or sexual abuse by a partner or non-partner since the age of 15. These are harrowing numbers and they speak to a violent society when it comes to how women are treated.

There is a 20-year gap between the first Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland, SAVI, report published in 2002 and the second, which was published last year. The Minister of State would agree this is unacceptable. Research carried out by the agency should also see reform of how we have done things to date. There need to be smaller gaps between reports of this nature. As we know, bodies can only work with the latest data they have been given. As my colleague said, we are happy to support the Bill progressing to Committee Stage. I hope the Bill goes some way towards making Ireland a safer place for women in the coming years.

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