Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I was not going to speak on this issue this evening but as my colleagues would be aware, as a child, I spent many a time with my mother in women's refuges in Ireland, through barring orders and so on. I can give one example. I remember my mother calling the Garda and gardaí saying that this is how Travellers are and this is a family matter. I am talking about 1996 or 1997. Unfortunately, that is how it was back then. As a woman, the Minister has made some positive changes around domestic violence and controlling behaviour so that needs to be acknowledged.

While I support this Bill, I do not think it goes far enough. We need wraparound support for women who have to seek refuge and we need more safe houses. We need refuges where a child or family is not barred because the child is bold, as they might say, or misbehaving. Many children who come from homes where there is domestic violence do have behavioural issues and we need wraparound supports. I remember how during the pandemic, my sister tried to get support but there was little or no support during 2020 to get her into a service along with six children. There are good organisations like Safe Ireland and we have refuges today that try to understand different minority groups but it is also really important that we do not target people and say that this is what happens within the Traveller community. Domestic violence is not part of Traveller culture. This is my second time saying this on the record of the House. It is not part of Traveller culture. Unfortunately, it may be considered acceptable behaviour to a greater degree there than in the general population and I encourage Traveller women to stand up and say "No, this is not acceptable. I don't deserve this" and reach out for supports.

Many women, not just Traveller women, can be put through this abuse again through the courts. Over the past two years, more female judges have been appointed to the family courts. I welcome that but we really need to look at safe places for women and children to go and at wraparound support. I thank Senator Martin for all his work on this Bill, which I support. It gives us an opportunity to look at some issues we need to deal with as a society, namely, refuges and women getting wraparound support for at least six months, not six weeks, when they have probably had 18 years of domestic violence. Having six weeks of support after having had 18 years of being abused for breakfast, supper and dinner is sometimes not enough.

In many cases, domestic violence does not have a class. You can be a really rich woman or a woman of colour and still go through domestic violence. If women have the means and support to be able to get away, in many cases, women from richer communities can do so but women from the Traveller communities and women from poorer communities have little or no financial support to be able to get away. I support the Bill. Any positive measure about combating domestic violence is welcome.