Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

My amendment No. 14 seeks in page 13, line 25, after “violence” where it secondly occurs, to insert “and acts of domestic violence”. This is to ensure that persons suffering domestic violence have clarity with regard to their right to apply for protection. It is quite obvious that this is a difficult area that many people seeking asylum must deal with and we have asked for it to be clarified in the Bill.

We have also tabled amendment No. 201 which proposes in page 54, line 23, after “be” to insert “unless the person ceases to be a family member because of domestic violence”. Amendment No. 203 inserts the phrase “unless the marriage or civil partnership ceases to subsist because of domestic violence”. We put forward amendment No. 214 as well to include domestic violence. We believe it adds clarity to the existing section with regard to domestic violence being a factor in defining a vulnerable person.