At the monthly meeting of Dublin City Council (DCC), councillors passed a motion to better support tenants who are victims of Domestic Violence through agreement on the appointment of a dedicated Domestic Violence Liaison Officer.
Cllr Hazel de Nortuin who moved the motion said:
“I’ve been working for several months with advocacy groups for those experiencing domestic violence and DCCs Housing Section to see how DCC can better support their tenants who are victims of domestic violence.”
Having a liaison officer and a greater awareness of the issue within DCC will help to ensure that women and children experiencing violence in the home don’t face homelessness in seeking safety.
According to Cllr de Nortuin:
“We need more support from DCC to remove the alleged perpetrators from DCC tenancies to allow the victims to reside in their own home. This Council supports the review of current legislation to strengthen the powers of social landlords to remove tenancy rights from persons with a barring order to allow the safe enjoyment of the home by the victim of Domestic Violence. This is hugely important for women in this situation and would offer greater safety and security to those who are trying to escape very dangerous and frightening situations.”
“Globally, it is estimated that almost one in three women and girls will be subjected to intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both, at least once in their life (30 per cent of women aged 15 and older).”
Violence negatively affects women’s health and well-being and prevents them from full enjoyment of their citizenship and participation in society with wider consequences for their own lives, their families and their community. Cllr De Nortuin believes that this motion is the beginning of a move to recognise and support women and their families in seeking care and assistance.