Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I support the sentiments expressed by my colleagues and acknowledge what the Minister has undertaken. I will point out that, in my time in public life, I have never seen the level of violence towards women and mothers of children that I have seen in the past couple of years and in the past two years in particular. There is also this friction whereby the victim has to pursue the other partner for maintenance. This is a recurring factor and brings the two into contact. The continuous barrage of abuse is really frightening. The cases I have to deal with are worse than any I have ever come across in my life.

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