Maximum sentence for assault to be doubled

Helen McEntee: Justice minister hopes to bring this legislation to Cabinet in the coming weeks and to have it enacted by the end of the year.  File picture: Conor Ó Mearáin

The maximum sentence for assault is to be doubled as part of measures contained in a zero-tolerance strategy to tackle domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence.

The Government's €363m five-year strategy will also focus on education from an early age on issues such as consent, healthy sexual relationships, and domestic violence, to be covered in an age-appropriate manner from primary school through to third level.

New training for healthcare and other frontline workers is to be developed by the HSE to identify domestic violence and refer victims to appropriate support services.

The strategy, due to be published by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Justice Minister Helen McEntee today, includes funding to double the number of domestic violence refuge spaces from 141 to at least 280 in the next five years, meaning places will be available in every county for the first time.

It is expected at least 100 of these refuge spaces will be rolled out by the end of 2023.

Ireland is currently providing less than 30% of the places recommended under the Istanbul Convention and nine counties currently do not have dedicated domestic violence refuges.

"It is my commitment that anyone who needs a space or a bed or accommodation or safe refuge will get that," Ms McEntee has said.

Four pillars of plan

Today's plan is built on four pillars — protection, prevention, prosecution, and policy co-ordination — with each aspect getting equal emphasis.

A significant element of the strategy involves the reform of criminal laws. 

As part of this, the maximum sentence for assault causing harm — one of the most common offences in domestic abuse cases — will increase from five years to 10 years. 

Ms McEntee hopes to bring this legislation to Cabinet in the coming weeks and to have it enacted by the end of the year.

It is understood she is conscious that current maximum sentences mean that a person convicted of assault causing harm often only serves two years when other mitigating factors are considered by a judge.

The Government also wants to place an emphasis on prevention, with community supports and in-prison rehabilitation being further developed.

The strategy, which was delayed after further consultation was sought following the death of Offaly schoolteacher Ashling Murphy, will cover the next five years. 

Implementation plan

Ms McEntee is also publishing an implementation plan, detailing 144 actions with set timelines to be enacted this year and next through new oversight structures.

This will ensure that everything that is promised in the plan is delivered according to strict timelines.

Among the key actions are:

A €363m funding package underpinning the entire strategy;

• New delivery structures to further accelerate the supply of refuge spaces, the development of new refuge design guidelines, and ring-fenced funding for the first time from the Department of Housing for refuge accommodation;
• Increased awareness-raising and education to change the attitudes which underpin domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence;
• Annual action plans will be published every year of the strategy’s lifetime, and progress reports will be published every six months.

On top of this, a statutory agency for domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence will be established by January 1, 2024. The new agency will be responsible for co-ordinating the implementation of the zero-tolerance strategy and will report to the justice minister.

The body will also lead awareness-raising campaigns to reduce the incidence of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence and ensure victims can access support. 

The agency will co-ordinate and improve services to victims, including the provision of accommodation, helplines, and other supports, and will spearhead ongoing research to inform policy development.

The chief executive officer of Women’s Aid, Sarah Benson has said she applauds the ambition of Ms McEntee in the Zero Tolerance strategy to tackle domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

Ms Benson told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland that she welcomed the objective of setting up “something centralised” which would incorporate other government departments.

The new strategy would require not just a whole of Government response, but a whole of society approach, she said, adding that the level of ambition in this strategy exceeds anything that has gone before.

Ms Benson said she commended the minister for the whole of Government approach which would not let other departments off the hook.

The approach in the future would be collaborative which was urgently needed.