Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tairgim leasú a 1

To delete all words after ''Seanad Éireann'' and substitute the following:
''-- notes:the alarming incidence of domestic violence in Ireland and the devastating consequences that it has for both the individual victims and survivors and for the wider society and that according to Women's Aid, 1 in 5 women in Ireland over the age of 18 will experience physical, emotional and sexual abuse in her lifetime;
that SAFE Ireland recorded that in 2010 more than 7,235 individual women and 2,850 individual children received support from domestic violence support services. This represents over 40% increase in demand for these support services over three years with some services experiencing up to 35% cut to their funding during this period;
that according to Rape Crisis Network Ireland, in 2011 there was an 11% increase from 2010 in survivors and others seeking counselling and support from their specialist services, on top of a 9% increase from the previous year;
that the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre reported calls to the National 24 hour helpline operated by the centre increased by nearly 10% in 2011, an overall increase of 25% since 2008. This increase coincided with a further reduction in the statutory funding received from the HSE;
that it is essential that services that assist women in this situation are adequately funded to be able to respond appropriately. Refuge provision remains inadequate and many women and children are unable to access refuge accommodation each year;
that the Council of Europe recommends that there should be a target by member states of at least 1 refuge place per 10,000 of population, that Ireland is a considerable distance from this target, and that according to Safe Ireland on over 3,236 occasions in 2010 services were unable to accommodate women and their children because the refuge was full or there was no refuge in their area;
that the baseline prevalence study on sexual violence, the Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland (SAVI) Report was published in 2002 and though has since acted as a key informant of Irish policy in relation to sexual violence, it is now considerably out of date;-- notes and commends the immense work being done to support victims and survivors of domestic violence by many State and non-governmental organisations;
-- commends the Minister for Justice for his commitment to reform of the law on domestic violence; for his introduction of important changes through the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provision) Act 2011;
-- commends the Minister for recently securing agreement on the introduction of a European Protection Order, but notes the considerable shortcomings in domestic protections for women at risk, and notes the failure, thus far, of the Government to sign the Council of Europe Convention on prevention and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention); and
-- calls upon the Government-- to support the Council of Europe Convention on prevention and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention) during Ireland's presidency of the EU;
-- to improve and extend eligibility for both Safety and Barring Orders to ensure full protection for those at risk from domestic violence;
-- to return the Budget for Domestic Violence Services to at least pre-budget 2013 levels, and to ensure the provision of appropriate and adequate services for women and children at risk from domestic violence;
-- to return funding to advocacy organisations working at a representative, policy and support level to at least pre Budget 2013 levels;
-- to bring about legislative change in order to improve eligibility for safety and barring orders, addressing the lack of emergency protection when the courts are not sitting and particularly at weekends, addressing the need for guidelines to improve consistency on the granting of orders, addressing the protection of children from domestic violence in the context of separation and divorce, and improving legislation on stalking, particularly to take in issues such as stalking within a dating context;
-- to ensure access to safe emergency accommodation for those experiencing violence, with a target of at least 1 refuge place per 10,000 of population,and resources ring fenced to make progress towards that target;
-- to take action to ensure that there are adequate safeguards in Direct Provision accommodation centres to ensure that any potential for domestic violence is minimised, and to ensure that the residents of such centres have reasonable and effective access to supports and resources, including access to shelters where they are suffering from domestic violence; and
-- to bring about a SAVI II report in relation to the nature and extent of sexual violence in Ireland and research into the economic cost of domestic violence in Ireland.''

While the motion tabled by the Labour Party is not without merit and while it would be difficult to disagree with it in the abstract, Sinn Féin considers that it falls far short of what actually is needed. This opinion is not drawn from my own thoughts but from discussing the issue with people who work in the area. When I showed them the motion that was being tabled, they were quite disappointed by it. While I can understand to an extent that the Labour Party in government is under certain limitations, one cannot allow such a motion to be debated without highlighting the considerable shortcomings that exist with regard to the protection of those suffering from domestic violence. Sinn Féin's amendment outlines the prevalence and high incidence of domestic violence and violence against women specifically. Domestic violence against women is a particularly pervasive problem in Irish society, which affects approximately one in five Irish women. Since children are also frequently affected, it contributes to generational cycles of violence. Domestic abuse includes not only physical violence but also sexual, mental and financial abuse. It is a core cause of poverty and homelessness among women and children. One in three women who attempt suicide in the North have been victims of domestic violence. It has been estimated that perhaps as many as 44% of people know someone who has been a victim of domestic abuse and most people are reluctant to intervene if it affects someone outside their close circle of family or friends.

Domestic violence is a brutal, callous and cowardly act that has severe physical and mental repercussions. Everyone should have the right to feel secure in his or her own home and no one should be obliged to live under the threat of violence under his or her own roof. Austerity economics have exacerbated the position. As times have become harder, domestic violence rates have risen further, whereas vital support services are being curtailed by the Government and the statistics in this regard are frightening.

I spoke to a professional in this area last week and asked what the main cause for the increase was and he replied that it was because men have more time.

The other issue that was raised is the anomaly in social protection, as mentioned by Senator Moloney, regarding housing. Many women who want to move out are unable to because the supports are not available as a result of anomalies in the rent supplement scheme. It would be an excellent idea to recognise domestic violence as a cause of homelessness.

In 2010, Safe Ireland recorded 7,235 individual women and 2,850 children who received support from domestic violence support services, a 40% increase in three years, despite a 35% cut to its funding over this time. According to Rape Crisis Network Ireland, there was an 11% increase in 2011 compared to 2010 in survivors and others seeking counselling and support from their specialist services, on top of a 9% increase in figures from 2009-10. The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre reported calls to the national 24 hour helpline operated by the centre increased by nearly 10% in 2011, an overall increase of 25% since 2008. This also coincided with the further reduction in the statutory funding received from the HSE. According to COPE Galway, as Senator Healy Eames mentioned, in 2012, more than 600 women and children were supported through both the refuge and outreach service, with 86 women accompanied to court for legal protection orders. The refuge, however, was unable to accommodate 214 women with 319 children and these were referred elsewhere. Specifically, there were admissions to the refuge of 140 women, with 131 children. Its outreach service dealt with 120 women provided with 303 appointments, while it also dealt with 128 drop-ins for women plus 93 children. We are talking about a situation that is close to crisis level at this stage, and there is an urgent need for action.

Internationally, while we are happy to commend the Minister on securing the introduction of a European protection order, we note the Government has yet to sign the Council of Europe convention on prevention and combating violence against women and domestic violence, the Istanbul Convention. The Government must ratify this convention immediately and there is an obvious conflict between the position of the Minister progressing this matter internationally but failing to sign Ireland up to the convention when so many of our neighbours have. The Minister must rectify this.

There is a need for legislative action. There must be a radical overhaul of how the law deals with domestic violence to ensure the justice system caters to the needs of abuse victims and keeps them and their children safe. We support the call by Women's Aid and other organisations for the Government to urgently review domestic violence legislation, including eligibility criteria for safety and barring orders. We must look at addressing the lack of emergency protection when the courts are not sitting. Clearly, there must be emergency and interim actions that can be taken to protect women at risk of violence. It is also clear that guidelines must be introduced to improve consistency in the granting of orders and the legislation on stalking must be improved.

Aside from legislation, we recognise there is a need for resources to be put in place. As we have noted, the Council of Europe sets out a recommendation of at least one refuge place per 10,000 of population. We are currently a considerable distance from that target. The organisations on the front line combatting this crisis are also under enormous pressure. They are now facing more and more people coming to then while their resources are being reduced year on year. We call for a return to at least the levels before the budget for 2013 and likewise call on the Government to ensure the relevant advocacy groups are equally resourced.

The motion also notes the need for a SAVI report, which I will not go into due to pressures of time, but I would draw attention to the situation with domestic violence in direct provision centres. The women in direct provision centres have no control over their domestic living conditions and are particularly vulnerable when it comes to domestic violence. I call again on the Minister for Justice and Equality to deliver on his pre-election promise with regard to changing the direct provision system, which is degrading and inhuman, and could lead to an inquiry along the lines of those into the Magdalen laundries if the Government fails to act on those commitments.

We do not oppose this motion; we feel it does not go far enough. I call on other Senators and on the Government to support our amendment. We hope Fianna Fáil and our other colleagues will do that. We commend the motion but feel it should be strengthened.