Justice Committee seeks submissions on issue of domestic and sexual violence

Committee Vice Chair Anne Ferris TD said: “The Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality has extended the deadline for written submissions on the issue of domestic and sexual violence to Friday, 28th June. We plan to hold hearings on the subject in September and issue a report in October. The most recent report from Women’s Aid found that one in five women in Ireland is abused by a current or former husband, partner or boyfriend at some stage in their lifetime. However, it is often a hidden or under-reported crime and one that needs to be exposed and challenged. Through the submissions we receive, hearings on the subject and our report, I hope we can help address some of the issues around domestic violence.”

Marcella Corocoran-Kennedy TD, Committee Member who will co-author the report said: “I welcome the fact that the Committee has undertaken to examine the issue of sexual violence in our society. Sexual violence is one of the most under-reported crimes, yet one of the most pervasive nationally and globally. I would urge all organisations and individuals with an interest in tackling this issue to forward submissions to our committee. The submissions and the hearings we intend to hold will help inform the report we will prepare on the issue.”

Please note that recording of all submissions/communications will be undertaken by the Clerk to the Committee and the Secretariat and therefore submissions should not be sent to individual members of the Committee.

If you wish to make a written submission, please do so, preferably by electronic means to the Clerk to the Committee at: justiceanddefence@oir.ie

Further details on making a submission are available here: http://bit.ly/11C177k

To view a video of Committee Chair David Stanton TD; Committee Vice Chair and Report Rappateur Anne Ferris TD; and Committee Member and Report Rappateur Marcella Corcoran-Kennedy TD discussing the issue of domestic and sexual violence and seeking submissions, click here: http://youtu.be/TH5A8xieYbM

For further information please contact:

Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2

P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551

Committee Membership

Deputies: Niall Collins (FF); Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (FG); Alan Farrell (FG); Anne Ferris (LAB) [Vice-Chairman]; Seán Kenny (LAB); Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (SF); Finian McGrath (IND); John Paul Phelan (FG); David Stanton (FG) [Chairman]

Senators:   Ivana Bacik (LAB); Paul Bradford (FG); Martin Conway (FG); Rónán Mullen (IND); Denis O’Donovan (FF); Katherine Zappone (IND)