Fianna Fáil Senator Erin McGreehan has raised concerns relating to the new incidents of domestic violence that have been reported during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to a report from Safe Ireland, nearly 3500 women and 600 children contacted a domestic violence service for the first time during the first 6 months of Covid 19. This is 19 new women and 3 new children each day.
Senator McGreehan commented, “The numbers that have been reported by Safe Ireland are frightening and shed light on a concerning level of unseen abuse in Ireland.
“The Programme for Government includes a commitment to conducting an audit on how responsibility for domestic sexual and gender-based violence is segmented across different government agencies. The report is due in the first half of next year. I am calling on either the Minister for Justice or the Minister for Children to come and update the house on the progress of this report so far.
“There is currently no single minister responsible for domestic violence, which is a situation that causes untold difficulties for NGOs and service providers. The resources available are also a problem – there is currently not enough refuge capacity to support women in need of it.
“We need to work on an all-encompassing plan for prevention and protection,” concluded Senator McGreehan.
