John Gormley
Question:320 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of barring orders granted in the Dublin Family Court for each of the past ten years. [26518/98]
Written Answers. - Barring Orders.
Statistics on the number of barring orders granted by the Dublin Metropolitan District Court during the last ten years are set out in the following table:
|
Year |
Number of barring orders granted in the Dublin Metropolitan District Court |
|
01/08/89 - 31/07/90 |
607 |
|
01/08/90 - 31/07/91 |
655 |
|
01/08/91 - 31/07/92 |
657 |
|
01/08/92 - 31/07/93 |
581 |
|
01/08/93 - 31/07/94 |
747 |
|
01/08/94 - 31/07/95 |
744 |
|
01/08/95 - 31/07/96 |
822* |
|
01/08/96 - 31/07/97 |
735* |
|
01/08/97 - 31/07/98 |
644* |
* Interim barring orders not included. Interim barring orders only became available from the 27th March 1996 on the introduction of the Domestic Violence Act 1996.
John Gormley
Question:321 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the proposals, if any, he has to allow access to the family courts for granting a barring order to persons who are affected by a decree of nullity and fail to qualify as cohabitants, cohabitants who do not satisfy the residence requirements or property entitlement requirements for a barring order, adult siblings who want a barring order, people who have a child in common but who have not cohabited and a parent who wants to bar an adult child but the property is owned by the adult child. [26519/98]
The law on barring orders was the subject of a recent comprehensive review which, I understand, took into account detailed consultations on the legal and constitutional issues involved. That review led to the Domestic
Violence Act, 1996 which updated and re-enacted with substantial amendments the law contained in legislation of 1981.
Operation of the law in this area is being closely monitored by my Department, in consultation with, among others, the National Steering Committee on Violence Against Women. The new law has been the subject of a number of representations made to the Department. The various issues, together with the issue raised by the Deputy, will be considered in the context of preparation of proposals for any amending legislation in this area and the details of any further legislative changes will be announced in the normal way.