Richard Boyd Barrett urges urgent rehousing for domestic violence victims
Richard Boyd Barrett spoke in support of a bill introduced by Deputy Carty and Sinn Féin, arguing that victims of domestic sexual or gender-based violence should not be forced to live in fear and must be protected. He highlighted a local case of a woman he called "Ruth", who remains at high risk while awaiting her ex-partner's trial and is reported as number 296 on the housing list.
He thanked Deputy Carty and Sinn Féin for bringing the bill and said People Before Profit would support it. He argued it is obvious that victims of domestic sexual or gender-based violence should not have to live in fear and urged lawmakers to take the bill's intent and victims' concerns seriously.
He described a constituent he called "Ruth" who suffered horrendous violence requiring serious medical treatment and continues to receive death threats by phone. He said her ex-partner forced entry with a fire extinguisher, admitted guilt for that incident, is facing trial in January, and remains free while she lives in close proximity to him.
He said the guards have classified the woman as high risk and that his office has heard threatening messages. According to his account, the guards and his office have appealed to the local authority for urgent rehousing to remove her from danger.
He reported that the local council responded that she is number 296 on the housing list and offered no comment on the threats or her high-risk status. He noted there is no domestic violence officer in Dunleary-Rackdown and argued there should be one in every local authority.
He called on the Minister for Justice to contact the local council about this case and urged all councils to treat rehousing of women at risk as a priority rather than leaving them in close proximity to their assailants. He pressed that councils must take seriously their obligation to protect victims of domestic sexual and gender-based violence.
Bill support and principle
He thanked Deputy Carty and Sinn Féin for bringing the bill and said People Before Profit would support it. He argued it is obvious that victims of domestic sexual or gender-based violence should not have to live in fear and urged lawmakers to take the bill's intent and victims' concerns seriously.
Constituency case - "Ruth"
He described a constituent he called "Ruth" who suffered horrendous violence requiring serious medical treatment and continues to receive death threats by phone. He said her ex-partner forced entry with a fire extinguisher, admitted guilt for that incident, is facing trial in January, and remains free while she lives in close proximity to him.
Risk assessments and policing appeals
He said the guards have classified the woman as high risk and that his office has heard threatening messages. According to his account, the guards and his office have appealed to the local authority for urgent rehousing to remove her from danger.
Local authority response and wider shortcomings
He reported that the local council responded that she is number 296 on the housing list and offered no comment on the threats or her high-risk status. He noted there is no domestic violence officer in Dunleary-Rackdown and argued there should be one in every local authority.
Request to the Minister for Justice and councils
He called on the Minister for Justice to contact the local council about this case and urged all councils to treat rehousing of women at risk as a priority rather than leaving them in close proximity to their assailants. He pressed that councils must take seriously their obligation to protect victims of domestic sexual and gender-based violence.
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Transcript
I thank Deputy Carty and Sinn Féin for bringing forward this bill, and on behalf of People Before Profit we are very happy to support it. To me it is simply obvious that the victims of domestic sexual or gender-based violence should not have to live in fear of their assailants, and I think you should take very seriously the intent of this bill and the concerns of victims of domestic sexual and gender-based violence. But can I also use the opportunity to highlight a case which shows it is not just about this kind of legal protection, but we had a woman, I will just call her Ruth, who came to my office in April, who has been the victim of really horrendous violence by her ex-partner, such that she required very serious medical treatment, where he is issuing on a fairly regular basis death threats over the phone to her. My office has heard the messages. The guards have said she is in a very high risk category, and her plea to the local council was that she is living, sorry I should say, since she came to our office her ex-partner burst through the door of her apartment with a fire extinguisher, and has been caught by the guards on this. He is facing trial for all this, he admitted guilt on that particular one, but is not facing trial until January, and is still free. But she is living in very close proximity to her assailant and her ex-partner, and is pleading with the council to, as a priority, get her out of where she is to somewhere safe, or he does not know where she is, and therefore can't threaten or attack her again. What is the response to the local council? Nothing. A response to letters, including from the guards, my own office, and so on, saying she is number 296 on the list, end of story. Not even a comment on the threats she is facing, or that she is in a high risk category. There is by the way no domestic violence officer in Dunleary-Rackdown, there should be one in every single local authority. But the idea that this woman is living in fear of someone, the guards, and the guards are appealing to the local authority, saying she has to be got out of this place as a matter of priority, and the council are essentially washing their hands of the case. So I am asking you, as the Minister for Justice, to contact our council about this case. But also, all councils should take very seriously their obligation to get women out of situations like that, and not be forced to live in close proximity to their assailants.