David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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540. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 508 of 26 May 2015, if the reformed and consolidated Domestic Violence (Amendment) Bill 2014 will contain a definition of the offence of domestic violence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21549/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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It is my intention to seek Government approval for the publication of the general scheme of a consolidated and reformed domestic violence Bill shortly. When it is published it will be referred to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality for pre-legislative scrutiny. I do not wish to pre-empt that publication by discussing the detailed content of the general scheme.

The issue of defining an offence of domestic violence has been the subject of detailed and careful consideration in my Department. It has also been the subject of recommendations by a number of groups, including, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality, and SAFE Ireland, the umbrella group for domestic violence services and refuges. On the one hand the definition of a specific criminal offence of domestic violence has the potential to send a signal to the criminal justice system and to perpetrators. On the other hand such a definition raises a number of practical difficulties and could give rise to unintended consequences. I would not want a situation to arise whereby such a definition might raise practical difficulties and/or give rise to consequences which might worsen the position of victims generally.