Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 December 2020
11. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Justice the actions she will take to address the rising levels of domestic violence in Carlow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42420/20]
View answerChristmas is fast approaching and it will be unlike any other. I ask the Minister to outline her plans to combat rising levels of domestic violence in Carlow. Will she be increasing supports for those seeking help in domestic violence situations? Specifically with regard to Christmas, what emergency plans are in place to keep services open? It is so important that services remain open for people experiencing domestic violence.
I thank Deputy Murnane O'Connor for her question. Regarding her query about measures taken to combat increased domestic abuse in Carlow, I will respond in more detail later but would emphasise that our collective approach is an all-encompassing national one and will continue thus.
There is no doubt that domestic abuse incidents have increased during the pandemic. We also know that services are going to come under increased pressure in the period leading up to the winter weeks and afterwards. In the first few months of the pandemic we had a full lockdown and it was only after society started to open up again that services started to see a massive increase in demand because people felt that they could actually seek help and that it would be available. In that context, we know that pressure is going to increase, which is why we have tried to make sure that additional funding was provided this year and in the budget for next year. This funding will support community and voluntary organisations, as well as An Garda Síochána and various State agencies. Additional resources, support, enforcement and services have been made available and domestic abuse cases are being prioritised by An Garda Síochána, the Courts Service and the Legal Aid Board. Covid-specific funding has been made available for this year and next.
I would like to assure the Deputy that we are not just looking at addressing immediate challenges but are also looking at how to improve services going forward. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman and I are anxious to have the input of partners working in this area and have been talking to various community and voluntary organisations, as well as stakeholders in various Departments because this is not just an issue for our respective Departments but also for the Departments of Social Protection, Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Education. We need to educate all of society about the issue of consent, what is acceptable and unacceptable, what to look out for and how to support people. We will deliver on the programme for Government commitment to audit how responsibility for this area is segmented. We will analyse the work done by various Departments and make sure that we have a functioning structure in place. Obviously, when there is a national structure in place, that disseminates down into individual counties and the work being done there. This provides better structures on a county by county basis. I will revert to the Deputy on County Carlow in my follow-up response.
Today marks the last day of a 16-day campaign highlighting domestic abuse and violence and is an appropriate time to reflect on the plans of the Department of Justice in this area. Evidence shows that women, children, migrants, refugees, people with disabilities and the elderly have been hit hardest by the pandemic and this has been compounded by a widespread increase in domestic violence. A core issue of concern is unreported incidents of domestic violence.
There has been a 25% increase in reports of domestic abuse in Carlow which is worrying and frightening. While I welcome the introduction of a resource officer and outreach from Amber Kilkenny Womens Refuge Project, which does great work, I must ask again about a women's refuge for Carlow. This is an enormous issue for me. Carlow should have its own refuge and I have been fighting for this for a long time. We also need to look at the issue of housing and how to provide emergency housing for women in domestic violence situations.
Deputy Murnane O'Connor has raised very valid points and that is why it is so important that the aforementioned audit takes place. It will be concluded by March of next year and will take into account the fact that there are also housing and social welfare support issues involved here. Work is being done by Tusla at the moment to review the current bed capacity in order to ensure that we have enough places. I am very conscious that a number of counties do not have their own refuge but Carlow and Kilkenny tend to work together in this space.
The figures I mentioned earlier are quite significant, with An Garda Síochána contacting or attempting to contact 20,699 victims of domestic abuse, which highlights just how many people are in very difficult and challenging situations. The number of cases has increased, as has the number of people coming forward for the first time. The types of violence that we are seeing, particularly against women but also against men, have also increased. This is a massive problem and is not just something that has arisen because of Covid-19. It has always been there but Covid-19 has shone a light on it and I have prioritised this issue as Minister for Justice.
It should be acknowledged that a huge amount of work was done in partnership with Beat 102-103 on awareness raising. We know that when we raise awareness, people do come forward and report. In particular, Ms Michelle Heffernan has been nominated for the Mary Raftery Prize for her work, for which I thank her.
I welcome the audit that is being undertaken because we must assess the services being provided by An Garda Síochána, Tusla, local authorities and the Department of Social Protection, among others. We must have an holistic approach to this. Services must be more accessible and more information must be provided in order that people better understand the issue. We know that people are doing their jobs to the best of their ability; that is not in question. The issue is getting the audit right, which will have a massive impact on people's lives.
I must also congratulate my own local radio station, KCLR, which has been focusing on domestic violence and abuse in recent weeks, in the run-up to Christmas. Everyone is playing his or her part but it is important, in the context of the audit, that the Department considers a women's refuge for Carlow. I know of people who were referred to refuges in Kilkenny and Waterford but they were full. We are referring women to refuges that are full.
The lockdowns have been tough on everyone but, for victims of domestic abuse, they have been hell. Their homes are not their sanctuaries. They find sanctuary outside their homes when they discover a safe space somewhere else. They were robbed of this chance for months during lockdown. The Minister gave them assurances and clarity that travel restrictions did not and do not apply to them. This was very welcome and an important move. What other actions is the Minister taking to support victims of domestic and sexual abuse and to deliver long-term and lasting cultural change?
In response to both Deputies, information is key. It is very important that victims of domestic abuse, violence and sexual abuse know what supports are available to them. A key recommendation of the O'Malley report, which then fed into Supporting a Victim's Journey, was that there should be greater access to information in different forms and through different media. At the implementation meeting yesterday, at which I met representatives from the Departments of Health and Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, An Garda Síochána and my Department, it was clear that a great amount of work is under way to provide this information through an online platform and updated website but to also provide it where people are and in the places they go, including public spaces such as Garda stations and libraries. People will then know where to get information and what services are available. We need to ensure that those services are there for them. That is why we are continuing to invest not only in the community and voluntary sector, but at a national level through Tusla with a view to ensuring people have the services they need when they take the very brave step of seeking this help in the first instance.
