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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 5 Feb 2002

Vol. 547 No. 3

Written Answers. - Domestic Violence.

John V. Farrelly

Question:

224 Mr. Farrelly asked the Minister for Health and Children the date on which he received the report carried out by officials in his Department on domestic violence; if he received this report in October 2000; his plans to publish this report within the next two weeks; if officials (details supplied) carried out the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3258/02]

I presume the Deputy refers to the draft report, Men and Domestic Violence: What Research Tells Us, which was commissioned of external consultants by my Department in collaboration with the North-Eastern Health Board in 2000.

In 1999-2000, the organisation AMEN, which is a voluntary support group for men who have encountered domestic abuse, sought funding from this Department. As there was no information on the incidence of domestic abuse of men in Ireland, my Department commissioned a literature review of research carried out abroad in this area. The review was to address the following: what work has been carried out in relation to prevalence of domestic violence against men and what are the findings; what paradigms are used to understand the phenomenon; what measures have been useful; what service needs have men who have been victims of violence identified; what services have been developed in other countries and what trends are known in relation to their effectiveness.

Kieran McKeown Limited, social and economic research consultants, were engaged to carry out this work and the draft report was presented to my Department in October 2000. My Department then sought the views of relevant official agencies on the draft report and is still receiving observations at present. It is hoped that final observations will be received shortly and my officials must then present these observations to the researchers to provide them with an opportunity to respond.
This consultation process has raised several issues which require clarification. Until such time as these issues have been clarified it is not possible to give a commitment as to a date for publication.
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