Christmas domestic violence fears

EXCESSIVE drinking, and legal problems with issuing barring orders, will result in one-in-five women suffering domestic violence this Christmas, women’s groups warned yesterday.

Last-minute legislation to allow the courts issue interim barring orders will be rushed through the Dáil tomorrow.

The courts have been largely powerless to deal with allegations of domestic violence since October, when the Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional to issue barring orders against a spouse who was not in court to present their side of the argument.