Government funding u-turn an insult to domestic violence victims

Press Release: Justice 31 January 2007

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31 January 2007

Govt funding u-turn an insult to domestic violence victims – Cuffe

– Desperate 11th hour reprieve designed to avoid bad publicity

The Green Party welcomed the news that a key agency dealing with domestic violence is to stay open following the Government's u-turn on its funding today. But Green Party Justice spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe TD slammed the Minister for Justice and the Junior Minister Frank Fahey for dodging discussions on the future of the National Domestic Violence Intervention Agency despite receiving 16 requests for a meeting. Minister McDowell called the NDVIA with the offer of a funding lifeline 30 minutes before a press conference was due to take place announcing the Agency's closure.

Deputy Cuffe said: "I am hugely relieved that the National Domestic Violence Intervention Agency will be remaining in business for at least the next three months. But I am absolutely appalled that the Government has acted with such disregard for both people affected by domestic violence, and for the agency's hard-working staff.

"The agency's future has been hanging in the balance for at least a fortnight as a result of sheer Government disinterest. And only when the NDVIA was on the verge of closing its doors – and thus generating lots of bad headlines – did the Minister and his beleaguered junior minister Frank Fahey take any action. Minister Fahey's claim that telephone conversations with the civil servant were 'sufficient' to deal with the situation is, frankly, an insult to the thousands of people suffering from domestic violence.

"The Government's failure to intervene until the 11th hour is a clear indication of their total lack of commitment to providing care and assistance to those affected by domestic violence. This NDVIA is only a pilot project but almost everybody working in the area wants to see this agency extended nation wide."

Ciarán's earlier press releases on this issue:

31 January 2007: McDowell must halt closure of Domestic Violence Agency says Green Party

19 January 2007:Green Party calls on Justice Minister to explain funding cut for Domestic Violence Agency

Ciarán Cuffe is a TD for the Dún Laoghaire Dáil Constituency. Ciarán can be contacted at Dáil Éireann, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 or 96 Patrick Street, Dún Laoghaire Tel. 284 6060 or 618 3082, Fax 618 4341, Email Ciaran CiaranCuffe.com, or Text Ciaran on 087 265 2075.