Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 December 2012
66. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the concerted action he intends to take in view of the fact that figures show that the number of women receiving support from domestic violence charities has more than doubled in the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54696/12]
View answerCosc, the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, an Executive Office in my Department, has been working on a 'whole of Government' approach to tackling domestic violence since the office was established in 2007. Its primary work at present is coordination of the implementation of the National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence 2010-2014.
In terms of future legislation on the matter, the Programme for Government commitment - to introduce consolidated and reformed domestic violence legislation to address all aspects of domestic violence, threatened violence and intimidation, in a way that provides protection to victims - will be progressed as soon as possible having regard to the need for consultations and the need to dispose of urgent legislative matters in my Department including under the EU/IMF Programme of Financial Support for the State. In advance of wider reform, I have introduced reforms to domestic violence legislation by means of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011. That Act removed the minimum required period of cohabitation before one of a cohabiting couple may apply for a safety order (previously, the applicant was required to have resided with the respondent for at least six of the previous twelve months) and gave equal access to the protections of the Domestic Violence Act to opposite-sex and same-sex couples (the relevant provision previously referred only to couples “living together as husband and wife”). The 2011 Act also widened the scope of section 2 of the 1996 Act, which specifies who may apply for a safety order, to enable a person to obtain a safety order against a person with whom they have a child in common. This is the only exception to the general rule that the protections available under the Domestic Violence Acts are for the benefit of persons who have lived together in the same household.
Finally, I would like to state that funding for front-line community and voluntary domestic violence services is provided at present by the Health Service Executive for whom the Minister for Health has responsibility. I understand that responsibility for funding these services will transfer to the Child and Family Support Agency when established and that agency will come under the remit of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.
