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	<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">A review of domestic violence laws could change the lives of the one in five women abused at the hands of a partner, a charity claimed.</span><br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">Women&rsquo;s Aid has called for a 24/7 on-call system for emergency barring orders so women in Ireland can be protected by the courts when they most need it.</span><br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">Margaret Martin, director of Women&rsquo;s Aid, said the move would make a difference to the safety of women and children.</span><br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">&ldquo;We know from women using our support services that the lack of access to legal protection when the courts are closed leaves women and children vulnerable to serious harm and further abuse overnight or over the weekend,&rdquo; she said.</span><br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">&ldquo;At a time of diminishing funding and resources, we see domestic violence refuges operating at capacity, and when there is no space in refuge this presents a major barrier for women fleeing dangerous abuse in the home.</span><br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">&ldquo;Emergency barring orders increase the chances that women and children can remain safe in their own homes.</span><br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">&ldquo;It can mean the difference between staying securely at home with legal protection and sleeping in a car or sleeping rough.&rdquo;</span><br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">The idea was one of several measures put to the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality, which will later publish more than 40 submissions it received in relation to domestic and sexual violence.</span><br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">The publication coincides with UN Day Opposing Violence Against Women, the start of the International 16 Days of Action Opposing Violence Against Women, and Women&rsquo;s Aid One in Five Women campaign.</span><br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">Ms Martin said an extension of eligibility for safety and protection orders to groups like non-cohabiting parents with a child last year resulted in a 34% increase in applications for safety orders and 23% in applications for protection orders.</span><br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">&ldquo;Many thousands of women avail of legal protection every year in this country, but there is still a significant number who are unable to access protection,&rdquo; she added.</span><br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">Elsewhere Pavee Point and the Roma Centre launched leaflets outlining supports for women in Traveller and Roma communities who are victims of domestic violence.</span><br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">Tessa Collins, of Pavee Point, said she was disappointed with the stereotyping of Traveller and Roma men as perpetrators of domestic violence.</span><br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">&ldquo;Domestic violence happens in all classes and all communities,&rdquo; said the senior community development worker. It is something that everyone should be taking seriously.</span><br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">&ldquo;It is not more prevalent in Traveller and Roma communities, but members of our communities find it extremely difficult to access services and supports to help them leave a violent relationship.&rdquo;</span><br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">The leaflets, which are available in English, Romanian and Slovak, will increase awareness of information about supports and services.</span><br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">Laura Pohjolainen, co-ordinator of the violence against women programme, said Traveller and Roma women face obstacles when attempting to seek help.</span><br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">&ldquo;There is a problem with structural inequality and poverty, a lack of trust in services due to previous experiences of discrimination as well as shame and stigma associated with disclosing domestic violence,&rdquo; she added.</span></p>
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		<a href="http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/review-of-domestic-violence-law-could-aid-20-of-victims-614892.html">http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/review-of-domestic-violence-law-could-aid-20-of-victims-614892.html</a></div>
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