‘Horrific rise in domestic violence’ but a ‘chronic lack of action’, TD says

The Government has been accused of a “chronic lack of action” in dealing with domestic and gender-based violence after the delay in publishing two reports on the provision of services and on emergency accommodation.

Independent TD Catherine Connolly said "I am sick and tired of making statements on domestic violence" as she protested at the failure to make the reports public and claimed Government inaction on the problem.

Raising the issue in the Dáil she said she wanted action on a growing problem following the “horrific rise in domestic violence” during the Covid-19 pandemic and the cancellation of phone calls to the Garda’s 999 line.

The Galway West TD said she had believed they were making progress in dealing with the crisis but there was a failure to even publish reports and the cost of domestic abuse to the economy is conservatively estimated at €2.2 billion annually.

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“The cost psychologically and intergenerationally is far beyond that,” said Ms Connolly.

The “most basic action” was the promise of the two commissioned reports but this had not happened, she said.

One report dealt with the segmentation of domestic violence services across a range of Government departments and was undertaken by two independent consultants. But “it is sitting on a desk somewhere in the Department of Children”.

The second document was a “basic report” from Child and Family Agency Tusla examining emergency accommodation on the ground.

Ms Connolly said that according to the Council of Europe and depending on the measurement used, the State is short of between 45 and 350 refuges for those affected by domestic violence.

She also cited the controversy last week over the cancellation of thousands of emergency calls by gardaí, an issue identified earlier last year but only reported to the Policing Authority in December. “Nine months later, we are now awaiting the results of an internal audit of that.”

Replying for the Government, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan acknowledged that domestic violence is a "hugely important issue".

Mr Ryan said the two reports will come Government “within the next two to three weeks”. He pledged that “if and when they are agreed by the Government, they will be published and acted on”.

Tusla’s accommodation review which examined the current level of refuge provision, the demand for services and unmet need is being finalised.

The review will “present recommendations on future configuration of accommodation and services which may be required to holistically meet the needs of victims of such domestic violence”.

He also said the third national strategy on domestic violence will be published by the end of this year and “will include actions around future investment in refuges”.

The Green Party leader also said he was glad the Garda Commissioner apologised for the cancelled calls but that did not excuse or “allow us to forget” what happened. It was “not up to the standards we expect from An Garda Síochána” although there had been a “huge reduction in the number of calls being cancelled” since then.