The Government’s zero-tolerance approach to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence often seems “like a zero-effort approach”, Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has claimed.
“Zero tolerance is not present in our court system, where violent offenders routinely walk free with a slap on the wrists,” she said. “It’s not present in our regulations in the taxi sector or the counselling sector or the dental one. It certainly isn’t in place in the Defence Forces.”
Ms Cairns was speaking in the Dáil as she introduced her party’s Private Members’ motion on adopting a zero-tolerance approach to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.
The motion calls for a review of taxi regulations, the counselling sector and for the 1985 Dentists Act to be reviewed so that the Dental Council of Ireland will be able to “sanction unregistered dentists operating in Ireland despite having convictions, including for sexual assault”.
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Ms Cairns also asked: “Why are we still waiting for legislation to ban the practice of some landlords demanding sex in lieu of rents?” Her party had published legislation more than two years ago. “The Government took issue with the Bill but failed to publish its own.”
Two years ago the Government also published a five-year Zero Tolerance strategy of reform “to achieve a society which does not accept domestic, sexual and gender-based violence or the attitudes which underpin it”. But Ms Cairns asked “why does a zero-tolerance approach so often seem like a zero-effort approach” as she cited regulations for counsellors and psychotherapists.
“We have known for years that this entire sector is a wild west, with zero regulations leaving vulnerable people open to abuse. To add insult to injury, the notes from that unregulated sector can be used against victims in court.” And she said Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly could not say when the review of professional regulations would be completed.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the work on the issue of preventing counselling notes of victims being used in court is continuing and she expected a result in the third quarter of this year “because this issue, in particular, has been raised by many victims of sexual violence”.
She added that the Minister for Health is working with representative groups of counsellors, psychotherapists and dentists “to try to make sure we can put in place the right structures and the oversight mechanisms in order that there will be clear oversight of those who are working with, in particular, vulnerable people”.
Ms McEntee said that changing institutions and changing culture “will not happen over the lifetime of one strategy or, indeed, one government. It needs consistent and sustained focus.”
She wished she were in a position to say “never again” when something happens “but I do not think we are anywhere near that. One of the issues that frustrate me most is that we will have this conversation today ... but we know there are women who will suffer at the hands of men today.
“We know there are women, children and men – people – who will be victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence today, tomorrow and the next day.
“All we can do is commit to making the changes we can make to try to shift our institutions, shift that culture and achieve zero tolerance. It is about us not tolerating what we have tolerated previously, and that takes a great deal of effort and time.”
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