Dick Spring
Question:77 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the measures, if any, he has taken to support persons who have availed of barring orders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6749/98]
Written Answers. - Domestic Violence.
Trevor Sargent
Question:85 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the measures, if any, he will take to deal with increasing incidences of domestic violence as revealed in recent statistics. [6796/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 85 together.
As Deputies will be aware, the Government has already established the National Committee on Violence against Women which is chaired by the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy M. Wallace. The decision to establish the committee is in accordance with the report of the Task Force on Violence agaist Women. The national steering committee includes representatives from the key Departments, together with the Garda Síochána and representatives of non-governmental organisations. The remit of the committee includes: co-ordination and advice in the distribution of resources and in the ongoing development of policies, including those concerning perpetrators, criminal justice interventions, services and supports; ensuring that regional and local structures are established to determine strategies at a local level and to provide a community-based approach to the provision of sevices; and promoting training.
The civil aspects of the law in relation to the protection of persons from violence in the home were the subject of major reform in the Domestic Violence Act, 1996. The Act extends the availability of the barring order remedy, which had previously been confined to cases of interspousal conflict, to cases of conflict between certain persons who have lived together as husband and wife, and to parents against adult children. The Act also introduced a new type safety order remedy which can be availed of in cases of conflict between household members, subject to certain conditions. Health boards were also given powers to apply to the courts on behalf of victims who, through fear or trauma, were unable to apply on their own behalf. The Act took into account recommendations made by the Second Commission on the Status of Women, the Kilkenny incest investigation team, the Law Reform Commission in its report on child sexual abuse, as well as those made by a variety of voluntary organisations operating in the field.
The Family Law (Divorce) Act, 1996 extended further the classes of persons covered to include ex-spouses whose divorce decree was granted by the Irish courts or whose divorce decree is entitled to recognition in the State.
The Deputies will also be interested to know that Women's Aid is to receive £10,000 from my Department to monitor the effectiveness of the Domestic Violence Act, 1996.