Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Section 39 of the Domestic Violence Act 2018 provides for the offence of coercive control. I understand that the issues raised in the correspondence referred to by the Deputy relate to the handling of a particular case by An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service rather than the legislative provisions involved.

As Minister for Justice I am acutely aware of the need for vulnerable victims to be supported and I am committed to ensuring An Garda Síochána have what is needed to combat all forms of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (DSBGV) and to support victims and survivors and that our justice system is victim-centred.

While An Garda Síóchána have made significant progress in how they engage with, and support, vulnerable victims including through the national roll out of Divisional Protective Service Units, the 2024 implementation plan for the third national strategy on DSGBV recognises that more needs to be done. It contains a number of actions aiming to strengthen the response of An Garda Síochána to domestic violence incidents including by: increasing prosecutions of breaches of civil orders provided for in domestic violence and family law settings; ensuring that training and knowledge around prosecutions of domestic abuse orders, in particular barring orders, is reiterated and reinforced to the operational ranks of An Garda Síochána, and by providing for enhanced oversight of An Garda Síochána’s response to Domestic Violence incidents.

As the Deputy will appreciate, as Minister for Justice I cannot comment on the handling of any individual case by the judiciary who are independent in their functions. However, I am leading on an ambitious programme of family justice reform, and a central element of this is the establishment of dedicated Family Courts with specialist judges assigned on a full-time basis. This will ensure our family justice system works better for everyone engaging with it, but particularly for those who need additional supports and protections, such as domestic violence victims.