Domestic violence agency wins last-minute reprieve

A UNITED front of women’s welfare groups yesterday helped to secure Government funding to save the National Domestic Violence Intervention Agency (NDVIA) from closure.

The announcement came minutes before a cross-section of women’s support groups and the trade union movement held a press conference to publicly attack the Tánaiste Michael McDowell’s record on violence against women.

Despite the 11th hour reprieve, the women’s welfare lobby stood defiant and laid out its demands for parties fighting the general election. It said the issues of rape, sexual violence, domestic violence and the trafficking of women still had to be addressed.