McDowell must halt closure of Domestic Violence Agency says Green Party

Press Release: Justice 27 January 2007

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30 January 2007

McDowell must halt closure of Domestic Violence Agency
says Green Party

The Green Party has called on Justice Minister Michael McDowell to face up to his responsibilities and act immediately to prevent the closure of the National Domestic Violence Intervention Agency (NDVIA). The agency will close its operations tomorrow due to continued refusals to confirm funding from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

Green Party spokesperson for Justice Ciarán Cuffe TD said: "I wrote to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform last week seeking clarification on the matter and requesting that he take steps without delay to ensure that this vital service is not lost. I have received no response from the Minister to date.

"I met with representatives from the NDVIA in November of last year and was concerned to hear of the difficulties experienced by the project due to a severe lack of clarity regarding continued funding. It is simply unacceptable that the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform has ignored 16 requests from the NDVIA for a meeting to discuss the future of the project. Unfortunately, the project's future has now become all too clear and it will close tomorrow if the Minister does not take immediate action.

"This is simply not good enough. The Government should be increasing funding to organisations tackling domestic violence, not standing idly by as they close their doors due to a lack of support."

Green Party Women's Affairs spokesperson Cllr Bronwen Maher said: "126 women were murdered in Ireland over the past ten years – that's one woman every month – while 15 per cent of all women experience severe domestic violence annually. Recently Women's Aid reported that they failed to answer a third of their distress calls last year. This Government's failure to respond and adequately fund vital agencies like the NDIVA is causing untold misery for families who have nowhere to go in times of crisis. The Minister must act immediately before another woman and her family are injured or even worse, killed, because of domestic violence."