Máire Devine criticises 12-month delay on transfer protocol
Máire Devine warns that a 12-month delay on the transfer protocol leaves women and children fleeing domestic and gender-based violence at risk. She criticises reliance on a protocol rather than placing protections on the statute books and urges immediate committee scrutiny.
Máire Devine, speaking as Sinn Féin spokesperson on gender and domestic violence, described the government time frame as disappointing and inadequate. She told ministers that a protocol alone is "wishy-washy" and does not give the robustness survivors need when trying to escape violent situations.
Devine highlighted that leaving an abusive home is often the most dangerous time for women and children and warned that refuges are oversubscribed and turning people away. She raised concerns about exclusions in the transfer arrangements, noting contributions by colleagues and civil society that many households could be left ineligible under the current terms.
The speaker pressed for the transfer rules to be placed on the statute books rather than only in a protocol, and urged that HAP and RAS exclusions be addressed. She referenced the recent protocol introduced by Minister Brown and echoed calls from Eoin O'Brien and others for stronger legal protections.
Devine called for the measure to be brought to committee stage without delay so that practical problems and local council differences can be examined robustly. She framed the issue as a basic human-rights matter - protection of bodily integrity, mental well-being and safety - and urged immediate action for the sake of those fleeing violence.
Urgent criticism
Máire Devine, speaking as Sinn Féin spokesperson on gender and domestic violence, described the government time frame as disappointing and inadequate. She told ministers that a protocol alone is "wishy-washy" and does not give the robustness survivors need when trying to escape violent situations.
Impact on survivors
Devine highlighted that leaving an abusive home is often the most dangerous time for women and children and warned that refuges are oversubscribed and turning people away. She raised concerns about exclusions in the transfer arrangements, noting contributions by colleagues and civil society that many households could be left ineligible under the current terms.
Policy and legal concerns
The speaker pressed for the transfer rules to be placed on the statute books rather than only in a protocol, and urged that HAP and RAS exclusions be addressed. She referenced the recent protocol introduced by Minister Brown and echoed calls from Eoin O'Brien and others for stronger legal protections.
Next steps and parliamentary route
Devine called for the measure to be brought to committee stage without delay so that practical problems and local council differences can be examined robustly. She framed the issue as a basic human-rights matter - protection of bodily integrity, mental well-being and safety - and urged immediate action for the sake of those fleeing violence.
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Transcript
I really think you should welcome this legislation. I think perhaps somewhere in what you said you have, but obviously this time frame that you've put on it or the time of the 12 months is very disappointing. We live in a society that we know in the last maybe two decades, decade and a half, the explosion of harm and against women and often their children as well. That's become quite scary for women in this country and worldwide and it's becoming, yeah, keep us in our boxes I suppose that we don't go any further and that the guys want to still have their say albeit in a very aggressive and violent manner and I suppose being the spokesperson for the gender domestic violence in my party, my concentration will be on again those fleeing or trying to attempting to flee domestic and gender-based violence. I acknowledge the very recent and I think it was last week the introduction of the protocol for transfer by Minister Brown but again as my colleague Eoin O'Brien has said it needs to be on the statute books. A protocol is kind of, it's a bit wishy-washy really and no offence meant but it just doesn't, it doesn't give robustness to and secure and comfort to those trying to flee terror and flee those who would harm them and in some cases take their lives which I think three women have lost in this country in the last week and a bit and that is significant and that would to me say that we need to be urgent about it so 12 months is kind of, yeah, it doesn't cut the mustard really to be honest Minister. Often years of trauma and violence and I think every one of us in a constituency office you'll see women usually coming in and the terror on their faces and it takes them a good few visits before they'd actually say I need to go, I need to leave, I don't know how longer I can stay safe there and we know a time when women leave that is almost the most dangerous time, it's a dangerous time for them and their children. The refugees are often very full oversubscribed and often they're turning away, I think they've turned away several hundred women and their families in the past few months here so it is concerning and housing is a human right, protection of bodily integrity, of mental well-being, of safety is a human right and we need to act with that lens. It's just so heartbreaking for me and I think everybody in constituencies that come across it, I'm trained to some extent in my previous profession but most of our staff aren't so I've gone and got a lot of Sinn Féin office staff trained in how to do that because it can be overwhelming because it is on the increase again but Minister to actually say no we're going to wait now and we've got a time delay on this, we're going to wait to allow a very simple and practical issue that somebody cannot live next door in the same street, the same neighbourhood, the same area as their abuser, it's a no-brainer to actually try and get away to settle somewhere, to feel safe somewhere and to add to another community that will you know promote I suppose family life, promote safety, promote the joy of you know living from day to day as opposed to always looking behind in terror at what's being done. I think it could be a very very simple thing, also I take in the differences throughout the councils, throughout the country but surely that's where committee stage, get it to committee stage, surely committee stage that's what it's there for. The 12-month delay I'm not sure, it'll still have to go to committee stage regardless so maybe we just do a robust committee stage on this. I would urge you to introduce it, I think we can't sit back this is too urgent and it's too urgent for over half the population in this country and also the inclusion or exclusion of the HAP and RAS in the protocol that's very concerning over like as Ona Brayen has said 50,000 households would not be eligible if they were to try and avail of this. It's incumbent on us, it's incumbent on us to care for our society, to care for our communities and to give very very basic care and very basic say of being able to say I'm out of here, I'm gone, I don't want to leave a trace behind me, I want to go somewhere where I won't be bumping into this horrific traumatised I suppose kids as well and I won't be bumping into somebody who means me really harm and has harmed me probably for a long time and over years so Minister I would urge you to kind of roll back on that, committee stage is the stage to battle all this out.