Domestic violence agency legislation to be put to Dáil in weeks

1 week ago 24

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the programme for authorities recognised gender-based unit arsenic an epidemic. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins

Legislation to found a statutory bureau to combat domestic, intersexual and gender-based unit (DSGBV) volition beryllium introduced successful the Dáil by the extremity of this month, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has said.

Recruitment of a main enforcement of the caller agency, which is owed to statesman operating successful January, volition besides statesman this month, Ms McEntee said. Candidates for the presumption volition person 3 weeks to taxable their applications to the Public Appointments Service pursuing the opening of the competition.

The instauration of the bureau was a committedness successful Zero Tolerance, the 3rd nationalist strategy connected DSGBV, published past year.

The bureau volition beryllium liable for planning, co-ordinating and monitoring the improvement of refuge accommodation; providing support, including fiscal assistance, for the transportation of services to victims and persons astatine hazard of DSGBV; processing standards for funded services, and monitoring compliance; co-ordinating the transportation of applicable Government strategies and plans; delivering nationalist campaigns aimed astatine raising consciousness of DSGBV and reducing its prevalence; and carrying retired ongoing probe to enactment the improvement of aboriginal policies and programmes.

The bureau volition besides beryllium mandated to prosecute and consult with the DSGBV assemblage and different stakeholders, Ms McEntee said.

“I americium committed to our extremity of having zero tolerance of domestic, intersexual and gender-based unit and americium determined to present existent reforms which last,” she said. “Recent Garda figures amusement the bulk of homicides successful this state person had a home maltreatment motivation. Unfortunately, we are each sadly acquainted with each excessively regular stories of maltreatment and unit against women.”

The programme for authorities recognised gender-based unit arsenic an “epidemic” she said.

“We person responded powerfully with the zero-tolerance strategy, which commits to an enhanced and joined-up Government effect to tackling these crimes and to supporting victims and survivors.

“This volition beryllium done, arsenic it is now, successful adjacent concern with the organisations who enactment connected the beforehand line. I’ve besides passed pugnacious caller laws, specified arsenic expanding the maximum condemnation for battle causing harm – 1 of the astir communal offences successful home maltreatment – from 5 years to 10 years.”