Colette Kelleher (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The amendments deal with out-of-hours barring orders. We know that domestic violence can take place at any time in the day or night, weekend or weekday. We also know that access to protections it provides can often be poor. If one is assaulted and then calls 999, one will be told to get a court barring order. If the assault happens at the weekend, one will have to wait until Monday, sometimes later for access to the courts. That kind of waiting can often be fatal. I am reminded of the day we celebrated on Friday. That delay can cause deaths. This is not an inconsequential focus on out-of-hours services. It literally can put people's lives at risk, unnecessarily.

The amendments introduce emergency timebound barring orders from an on-call judge, as happens elsewhere to provide people with immediate protections they need.The process needs to be simple, accessible and effective. Barnardos has backed the call for an on-call judge to protect children. It knows from its daily work why there is a need for out-of-hours measures to be strengthened.

Amendment No. 20 includes insistence on secure electronic communications when communication with judges out of hours. My colleague's amendment No. 27 has slightly tighter language than amendment No. 26. "Communicating" is better phrasing than "calling". This amendment could be strengthened on Report Stage by substitution of "the rank of Inspector or above" for "of appropriate rank". We ask the Minister of State again to take our ideas and suggestions into consideration. The delays in people getting access to those protections can cost them their lives.