Tony Kett (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and congratulate the Leader on putting this issue down for discussion. It is almost two years since it was last discussed in the House. It is a matter of such major importance that it should, indeed, be debated much more often. We should be monitoring the progress being made, if any.

I compliment the many voluntary organisations that work at the coalface, in this regard. Women's Aid, in particular, springs to mind as one of the great strengths for unfortunate women who suffer from domestic violence. The level of comfort and commitment that organisation gives to these people is unquantifiable. Unfortunately, Women's Aid is working in a vacuum, attempting to cope with fire brigade situations on a basic needs level rather than in any type of co-ordinated manner. That is regrettable because it means the organisation's efforts do not measure up appropriately, through no fault of its own.

Those of us who have never experienced domestic violence can only begin to imagine how lonely a place it must be for a woman and her children, where these are involved. It is through the tireless efforts of the voluntary bodies concerned that we are now discussing the issue of which there is a much greater awareness. Through their efforts we now realise this is a serious, complex and social issue. We spoke of this matter nearly two years ago when I recall quoting a statistic that out of 81 women murdered, 53 had been killed in their homes. I was reading some of the information that came to us which indicated that these figures related to 1996 and we were talking about it early in 2004. The figure has now gone up to 111, they tell us, with 72 women murdered in their homes. In the intervening period 30 women have been murdered, 19 of them in their homes. That is a damning statistic.

The research also indicates that one in five women suffers this type of mental, physical and sexual abuse. Imagine how difficult it can be for a woman to leave an environment such as that. Research indicates that those who take this step are in greater danger than they were while in a violent relationship, which is hard to believe.

It is imperative that we take all necessary steps to ensure women experiencing domestic violence are adequately supported when they take the onerous decision to leave a relationship. We must remember that a woman who makes such a decision leaves behind all her aspirations and desires for herself, her partner or husband and any children she may have. Many victims leave their homes accompanied by their children and with only the clothes on their backs. It must be a devastating physical and emotional experience for a woman to risk leaving a violent relationship knowing full well the mind of her abusive partner. She will experience the trauma of leaving home, the apprehension that her partner will carry out reprisals and the emotional distress of worrying about her future and those of any children she may have. I cannot even begin to imagine what must go through a woman's mind in such circumstances. Mothers will put their lives on the line for their children and many will stay in violent relationships and endure the pain in the belief that it is the lesser of two evils because leaving would result in their children having no roof over their heads.

It is a sad reflection on society that so many women live in fear. As Senator Terry noted, domestic violence is primarily a women's issue and most perpetrators are men. The fact that it occurs in the home, supposedly a loving and protective environment, makes the experience even more devastating for victims. It is dangerous to regard the fact that perpetrator and victim live together as a mitigating circumstance or a grounds for preferring a lesser criminal charge. The opposite is the case as there is nothing more distressing that having one's partner turn on one in a violent manner. One cannot repeat loudly or often enough that domestic violence, rape and sexual result are heinous crimes, which are committed against people of all ages, colours and creeds and impact both on individuals and their wider family. Such violence can also take place in a loving environment.

One need only imagine the confusion felt by an innocent child faced with domestic violence. Research indicates that children are in close proximity when 80% of recorded cases of domestic violence occur. As a result of this exposure, they have difficulty adjusting to particular circumstances, become withdrawn, secretive, silent and bitter and, in certain circumstances, engage in self-blame. I can imagine the confusion they must feel about their parents' relationship. They tend to suffer sleep and eating problems, experience sadness and depression, have trouble with learning and school and, in certain cases, inflict self-harm. This is a terrible start on life's journey for a child. God knows life is tough enough without having to deal with domestic violence.

It is clear from these facts that action needs to be taken quickly and resources provided to deal with the problem. I am pleased to note the Minister of State's comment that he is open-minded in this regard. Senators should meet those working on the front line of domestic violence as often as possible because they can give us a great insight into the action required to address this dreadful problem.

There is probably no one present in the Chamber who does not know someone who has experienced domestic violence. Unfortunately, the terrible silence surrounding the issue means we probably do not know half of what takes place. The fact that women will be assaulted an average of 35 times before reporting it tells us a great deal. Thankfully, stronger laws have been introduced which I hope will alleviate the problem. There is an onus on the Oireachtas to do whatever possible to improve the horrible position in which women affected by domestic violence find themselves. We need to create an environment in which it is easier for those affected to come forward in the full knowledge that they will receive the protection of the community. We need to establish education and awareness programmes to highlight the many forms this terrible crime can take.

Sometimes I believe the name given to the crime is inadequate. Domestic violence should be seen for what it is, namely, a cowardly act, carried out by a cowardly individual who preys on someone he knows to be weaker than himself and carries out acts he would not do to a person who could fight back. The Oireachtas has a primary responsibility to make a major effort to bring about change in this area. We owe this to the women and men — one in 16 males will suffer domestic violence — who experience domestic violence and the voluntary groups working in this area. These organisations have my support and I encourage the Minister to allocate more resources to tackling the horrible cancer of domestic violence.