“Zero tolerance” for domestic and gender-based violence was something of a mantra of the last Government.
It has carried over to the current Coalition as well, with Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan on Tuesday launching the final implementation plan for its “Zero Tolerance” strategy aimed at tackling such violence.
But while tolerance levels among the politicians may have been at zero for years, Women’s Aid has revealed that it received the highest number of disclosures of domestic violence and abuse in its 50-year history last year.
As Mary Carolan outlines in our front page story, more than 41,000 women reported abuse by their partner or ex-partner, and more than 5,000 reported abuse of children.
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The 2024 figure for disclosures, up 17 per cent on 2023, included reports of assaults with weapons, constant surveillance, relentless put downs and humiliations, sharing intimate images online, complete control over all family finances, sexual assault, rape and being threatened with theirs or their children’s lives.
Five women, the Women’s Aid report notes, died in violent circumstances in 2024.
The number and nature of the abuse disclosures is “utterly appalling” but is “just the tip of the iceberg”, said Women’s Aid chief executive Sarah Benson.
Specialist services are “overstretched and underfunded” and resourcing by Government and implementation of the Third National Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Strategy remains “crucial” to effectively reduce the scale and impacts of violence against women and children in Ireland, the organisation said.
The final implementation plan for that strategy published yesterday sets out 95 actions, including expansion of refuge accommodation.
Mr O’Callaghan said the plan “provides a focused roadmap to deliver on the whole-of-government commitment to a zero-tolerance approach to DSGBV (domestic, sexual and gender-based violence)”.
He added: “I am committed to building on what has already been achieved, and to strengthening implementation and identifying the actions we need to take now and where we need to go next to prepare a clear pathway toward the fourth national strategy.”
A test of whether the Government’s efforts to tackle the scourge of domestic violence are having an impact will be the kind of data published by Women’s Aid, and whether the shocking level of abuse the most recent data details falls instead of rises to new record levels.
Tentative ceasefire between Iran and Israel appears to hold
International events and the tentative ceasefire between Israel and Iran are the topic of today’s lead story by Jack Power.
There were accusations from both sides of violations in the hours after the ceasefire came into force.
United States president Donald Trump’s frustration at the situation boiled over as he spoke to reporters in advance of travelling to a Nato summit.
Mr Trump described Israel and Iran as two countries “that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f**k they’re doing”.
In a later online post, the US president said “both Israel and Iran wanted to stop the War equally! It was my great honour to Destroy All Nuclear facilities & capabilities, and then, STOP THE WAR”.
It was reported on Tuesday night that an initial classified US assessment of the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities says they did not destroy two of the sites and were likely to only set back the Iranian nuclear programme by a few months, according to two people familiar with the assessment.
The report produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) – the intelligence arm of the Pentagon – concluded key components of the nuclear programme, including centrifuges, were capable of being restarted within months.
The White House disputed the intelligence assessment, which was first reported by CNN. “The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear programme,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
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The Government will make a decision on whether to include services in the Occupied Territories Bill based on advice from the Attorney General, the Taoiseach has told the Dáil. The issue was raised in the Dáil after Tánaiste Simon Harris brought the legislation to Cabinet on Tuesday. The Israeli Settlements Prohibition of Importation of Goods Bill will make it an offence under the Customs Act to import goods from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian territories. There is pressure on the Government from the Opposition to include services as well. Marie O’Halloran, Jack Horgan-Jones and Martin Wall report.
Amid a debate in the Dáil on the high cost of groceries, Miriam Lord imagines what would happen if Taoiseach Micheál Martin did the weekly shop. “He’d refuse to look at a biscuit, the house would be awash with broccoli and you’d die for the want of a cheese and onion crisp. The man cannot be allowed near a shopping trolley.”
On the Opinion pages, Kathy Sheridan asks: should influencers and politicians share photographs of their children online?
Irish farmers have welcomed tentative moves by the European Parliament to restrict “cynical” vegetarian and vegan food producers from using words such as sausage, burger and schnitzel to sell their products. Conor Pope reports on this issue.
“I sleep easier here”: The makeshift homeless community under the M50 – Kitty Holland outlines the plight of people living beneath Dublin’s ringroad.
Playbook
The Dáil kicks off with an opportunity for TDs to raise topical issues at 9am.
Independent TDs have a motion on legislative and structural reforms to accelerate housing delivery which is to be debated from 10am.
Leaders’ Questions is at noon.
Government Business in the afternoon includes a motion on the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act, 1998.
There will also be a committee stage debate on the Mental Health Bill, 2024, from 5.44pm.
Legislation to bring in changes to the Local Property Tax regime is to be debated from 6.44pm.
The weekly Dáil votes are due to take place at 10.45pm.
In the Seanad there will be a debate on the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill, 2024, from 12.45pm.
Various Oireachtas committees, including health and transport, will be considering revised funding estimates for their relevant departments on Wednesday.
The committee on social protection will be considering the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension) Bill, 2025, from 9.30am.
The committee on climate will meet the Climate Change Advisory Council on the topic of the carbon budget at 12.30pm.
The committee on arts, media, communications, culture and sport will examine the future of the An Post network, also at 12.30pm.
The committee on education will be considering education for children with special needs from 6.30pm.
The full Dáil, Seanad and committee schedules can be found here
