Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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353. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 382 of 3 February 2015, the progress of reforming and consolidating the Domestic Violence Acts; provisions that will be made to strengthen the protection for siblings and relatives who do not reside with perpetrators of violence, harassment, threatening, and intimidating behaviour; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32739/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The General Scheme of a Reformed and Consolidated Domestic Violence Bill was approved by Government on 16 July 2015 and is currently being drafted. The General Scheme is focused on improving the protections that are available to those who are at greatest risk of domestic violence. These are spouses, civil partners and those cohabiting in an intimate and committed relationship, parents and persons who have had a child together. The protections also extend to dependents who are under 18 or under 23, if in full-time education, or who have a physical or intellectual disability which prevents them from living independently. The legislation thus extends to quite a wide range of family relationships. It is not proposed at this stage to extend the definition further as criminal law mechanisms are available for use by other categories of relatives.