New Irish legislation seeks to support victims of domestic abuse

Victims of domestic abuse will now find it easier to obtain barring orders and limit electronic communication according to proposed new legislation.

It is understood that the Domestic Violence Bill, which has been approved by the Government, will reduce the risk of intimidation to victims of such abuse.

In addition to obtaining barring orders, the new reforms will also allow victims to give court evidence via video link in order to protect their anonymity.

Commenting on the issue, Minister for Justice, Frances Fitzgerald, said: "Domestic violence persists as true horror in too many homes in 21st century Ireland."

Explaining the motivation behind the new reforms, Minister Fitzgerald said: "Too many incidents of domestic violence still go unreported. Too many victims are afraid to come forward."

Elaborating on the proposed law, she explains: "The Bill will remove the requirement that a person must have at least an equal interest in a property to apply for an interim barring order (for 8 working days) in an emergency or crisis situation."

With a recent EU-wide study indicating that 12% of Irish women have experienced stalking, with half of that number experiencing it at the hands of an ex-partner, Minister Fitzgerald insists the bill would be a 'major step' towards Ireland’s ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence.

Highlighting the importance of swift implementation, the Minister said: "It is in the interests of victims that we get this legislation drafted and enacted as soon as possible."