Martin Daly urges rural refuges and education to end domestic violence
Martin Daly, a TD for Ascomongolri and a GP, addressed domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, calling for a dedicated refuge in County Roscommon, expanded rural supports, early education on consent and increased funding for Kuhn. He welcomed the Government's Zero Tolerance Strategy and urged it to deliver meaningful change in communities including Roscaam and Galway.
Roscommon Safelink reported a 13% rise in new clients and a 5% rise in existing clients over the last year, delivering 146 outreach clinics in 2024 across Boyle, Castle Rea and Ballahadrine. The service supported 37 new children and responded to over 9,300 contacts including more than 800 crisis calls - figures the speaker said represent people in need rather than mere statistics.
County Roscommon still has no dedicated refuge, forcing survivors to leave their home county to find safety. The groundwork for a safe house and refuge has been laid with Coon, and the speaker committed to advocating for its delivery without delay to ensure local access to emergency accommodation.
The speaker argued that violence persists because of tolerated attitudes and silence, and said prevention must start earlier through education on respect, consent and healthy relationships. He emphasised that men must be at the heart of changing culture and that supports should build trust and compassion in communities.
He warned that abuse is evolving - citing digital abuse, coercive control and online harassment - and said laws, support services and the education system must keep pace. As a GP he noted abuse often escalates during pregnancy and pointed to the Women's Aid Maternity Project in Dublin as evidence that early intervention can make a difference, calling for such supports to be available in rural areas.
The speaker welcomed the Government's Zero Tolerance Strategy, built on the four pillars of the Istanbul Convention - Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Policy Coordination. He also welcomed the minister's commitment to expanding funding for Kuhn beyond the £67 million committed this year and urged that strategy delivery reach communities including Roscaam and Galway.
Local impact and service statistics
Roscommon Safelink reported a 13% rise in new clients and a 5% rise in existing clients over the last year, delivering 146 outreach clinics in 2024 across Boyle, Castle Rea and Ballahadrine. The service supported 37 new children and responded to over 9,300 contacts including more than 800 crisis calls - figures the speaker said represent people in need rather than mere statistics.
Refuge gap in County Roscommon
County Roscommon still has no dedicated refuge, forcing survivors to leave their home county to find safety. The groundwork for a safe house and refuge has been laid with Coon, and the speaker committed to advocating for its delivery without delay to ensure local access to emergency accommodation.
Prevention, education and cultural change
The speaker argued that violence persists because of tolerated attitudes and silence, and said prevention must start earlier through education on respect, consent and healthy relationships. He emphasised that men must be at the heart of changing culture and that supports should build trust and compassion in communities.
New forms of abuse and maternity risk
He warned that abuse is evolving - citing digital abuse, coercive control and online harassment - and said laws, support services and the education system must keep pace. As a GP he noted abuse often escalates during pregnancy and pointed to the Women's Aid Maternity Project in Dublin as evidence that early intervention can make a difference, calling for such supports to be available in rural areas.
Policy framework and funding expectations
The speaker welcomed the Government's Zero Tolerance Strategy, built on the four pillars of the Istanbul Convention - Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Policy Coordination. He also welcomed the minister's commitment to expanding funding for Kuhn beyond the £67 million committed this year and urged that strategy delivery reach communities including Roscaam and Galway.
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Transcript
Minister, today I speak not only as a TD for Ascomongolri but as a GP with over three decades of experience and in that time I have witnessed the hidden trauma of domestic, sexual and gender based violence and I will recognise what Deputy Connolly has said that in some way the term domestic has minimised what in fact is assault within the home and domestics were sometimes minimised because it was simply a domestic and it was treated in a different way as if it was a domestic. It was a common assault out on the street so I recognise what you have said there Deputy Connolly, I have seen the fear in people's eyes, the silent suffering, the intimidated, the coerced and the emotional psychological scars that last long after physical injuries have healed, I have done that house call on Christmas day with alcohol fuelled violence, an injured wife and terrified children and these figures are deeply troubling, in Ireland over one in three women, 35% have experienced abuse by an intimate partner, since 1996 275 women have lost their lives to violence mostly in their own homes, these are not just statistics, they represent lives stolen, families devastated and communities left heartbroken and the violence is not confined to others in the headlines, it is happening in our communities. I have received figures from Roscommon Safelink, our local support service showing a 13% rise in new clients and a 5% rise in existing clients over the last year, this increase reflects both the scale of the problem but also a growing trust in their services, people have reached out because they believe they will be met with compassion and support and I suppose that is the culture we are trying to foster here. In 2024, Roscommon Safelink delivered 146 outreach clinics across Boyle, Castle Rea and Ballahadrine. In rural counties these clinics can mean the difference between someone seeking help or remaining trapped in silent terror. The service also supported 37 new children and responded to over 9,300 contacts including more than 800 crisis calls and behind every one of those numbers is a person in need. Abuse affects people of all genders, there has been a rise in male clients attending as well and whilst a minority our response must reflect that reality also. Yet despite this vital work County Roscommon still has no dedicated refuge, survivors fleeing abuse are forced to leave their home county to find safety. This is unacceptable. The groundwork for a safe house and refuge has been laid with Coon and it is essential this project moves forward without delay. I will advocate for its delivery. But beyond the statistics and services we must ask the deeper question, why does this violence persist? It continues because of the attitudes we tolerate, the behaviours we excuse and the silence we allow. If we are serious about ending domestic sexual and gender based violence we must start earlier by educating young people about respect, consent and healthy relationships. Culture must change and men must be at the heart of it. We must also recognise that abuse is changing. Digital abuse, coercive control and online harassment are growing threats. Our laws, our support services and our education system must keep pace. As a GP I have seen how abuse often escalates during pregnancy. The Women's Aid Maternity Project in Dublin shows the difference what early intervention can make. These supports must be made available not just in urban centres but also in rural communities like mine. That is why I welcome the Government's Zero Tolerance Strategy. The strategy that calls for a whole of government and whole of society approach to end domestic sexual and gender based violence. It is built on the four pillars of the Istanbul Convention. Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Policy Coordination. I welcome Minister your commitment to expanding the funding for Kuhn beyond the £67 million committed this year. The Government's Zero Tolerance Strategy sets direction. We must now ensure it delivers meaningful change in every community including my own in Roscaam and Galway. Thank you very much Deputy McAuliffe. Thank you. Good morning. Good morning.