Domestic abuse policy without data ‘ludicrous’

It is “ludicrous” to address the problem of domestic abuse without any official statistics, director of the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) Orla O’Connor has said.
Domestic abuse policy without data ‘ludicrous’

A network of organisations, including the NCWI and the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) is calling on An Garda Síochána, Tusla, the HSE, the Courts Services, and the Central Statistics Office to come together to record data accurately.

“It seems ludicrous to write policy without knowing clearly and comprehensively the facts behind it,” Ms O’Connor said yesterday.

“We need our authorities to properly record data, from the police to the court services, and the health services. We urgently need our State services — An Garda Siochana, Tusla, HSE, the Courts Services and the CSO to come together to record data accurately, and importantly, to share the data and subsequent analysis.

“Our current system is archaic and not fit for purpose.”

Ms O’Connor was addressing the Irish Observatory on Violence against Women, an independent network of grassroots and national organisations that monitor progress on responses to violence against women in Ireland.

Her comments came in the same week as Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald said she will not rest until domestic abuse is stopped.

“These people are very shameful in their cowardice,” said Ms Fitzgerald. “I certainly don’t want to rest until this is stopped.”

She added that abusers “derived false strength” by preying on vulnerable people behind the closed doors of their homes.

Also speaking yesterday, on the crisis of data shortage around domestic abuse was Noeleen Blackwell, director of the DRCC.

“To reduce violence against women, we need to understand the scale of the problem, and for that we need quality data,” she said.

“Reliable and comparable statistics help us to assess the effectiveness of policy measures and services in place, estimate the resources needed to tackle the issue and track progress over time.”

The Domestic Violence Bill is to be published in the next two weeks.

More in this section

National Risk Assessment for Ireland Tánaiste urges Israel ‘to show humanity’ and allow more aid into Gaza
Lego set based on RNLI lifeboat could soon become a reality Lego set based on RNLI lifeboat could soon become a reality
Travel Stock - Geneva - Switzerland UN human rights body calls for repeal or amendment of Troubles legacy laws
War_map
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited