Alan Farrell
Question:399. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Justice her plans to introduce paid leave for victims of domestic violence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29939/20]
View answerTuesday, 13 October 2020
Questions (399)
Written answers
The Department of Justice is committed to combatting and addressing Domestic Abuse in all its forms, and coordinates the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, which is a whole-of-Government approach addressing the many actions necessary to address these matters fully.
Provision for family leave currently falls under the remit of the Department of Justice and Equality but paid leave for domestic abuse would not fall under family leave which is designed to promote work-life balance and gender equality in the workplace. Such paid leave, if it were to be introduced, would likely require an amendment to the Organisation of Working Time Act, the responsibility for which lies with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.
It is the aim of government collectively, and of myself as Minister for Justice, to make available appropriate supports for people who are victims of Domestic Abuse to ensure there is a comprehensive approach that fully address their needs. When it comes to the employer / employee relationship, consideration has to be given to how the victim would prefer the issue of domestic violence to be dealt with, including whether sensitive issues such as domestic abuse are best dealt with in a private and confidential manner between employers and employees, using existing leave mechanisms such as force majeure.
As mentioned already, my Department coordinates the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence 2016 – 2021, which is a whole-of-Government approach to taking forward the many actions necessary to address these matters fully. The Strategy includes input from relevant community and voluntary groups as well as other stakeholders across the sector. Overall, it aims to strengthen the law and structures in Ireland targeting domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Considerable progress has been made in addressing these issues through the Strategy which facilitated the ratification by Ireland of the Istanbul Convention in 2019.
Furthermore, in the context of the Covid 19 pandemic, my Department was conscious of the added risk and fear of domestic abuse. As part of an inter-agency plan and in addition to the funding already allocated for 2020, the Department to date has provided an additional €327,250 to a number of organisations working in the sector, to support and extend the existing services they offer during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic. My Department is also leading a public awareness campaign on domestic abuse during the Covid-19 pandemic, known as ‘Still Here’ and it aims to get the message to those experiencing domestic abuse and sexual violence that support services from State agencies and the voluntary sector are still available and accessible to support victims during the Covid-19 pandemic. Further information on the organisations involved in this initiative as well as services and supports for victims is available on the website www.stillhere.ie .
In addition, under Budget 2021 and in recognition of the increased risk and incidence of domestic abuse during the pandemic, I secured €2.7 million in increased funding to combat domestic, sexual and gender based violence, as well as support for victims. Furthermore an additional €0.4 million in extra funding has been provided for organisations and groups responding to increased service demands from people impacted by domestic abuse during this period. In addition to continuing supports provided during the pandemic, the additional €400,000 for 2021 will provide extra remote counselling services, and help keep helplines open, as well as welfare packs and other practical supports for those most vulnerable.
Finally, the Deputy will also be aware that the draft Programme for Government contains a commitment to conduct an audit of statutory responsibilities in this area.