Domestic abuse victims suffering from court delays across Tipperary

Long court delays across Tipperary adds to the trauma for victims of domestic and gender-based violence, says Tipperary TD Martin Browne.

Long delays in accessing court are causing untold stress for victims of domestic and gender-based violence according to the Sinn Féin TD for the Premier County who has slammed the waiting times at District and Circuit Court levels for victims of crime in parts of county Tipperary.

The figures, released by the Courts Service, show that the current waiting time for hearings in Family Court can stand anywhere between three to 24 months in some areas.

This means survivors potentially must reapply for interim orders until their full hearing is scheduled – which could be up to four weeks later in Thurles, eight weeks later in Clonmel, and 12 weeks later in Nenagh in comparison to being dealt with at the next sitting in neighbouring counties such as Cork and Kilkenny.

“The idea that someone in Nenagh who requires a domestic violence order might be facing a wait of 12 weeks just because of where they live is just unconscionable in my mind,” said Deputy Browne.

The ongoing wait times add to trauma and stress for victims, he added in a statement to the Tipperary Star. “Women’s Aid have repeatedly described the Family Courts as a process that ‘is prolonged, costly and disempowering’, and that the ‘family law system fails women and children who are separating from a domestic abuser’.

"This is a damning indictment of a system requiring systemic reform to adequately support victims and survivors.” The extended wait times across Tipperary are an ongoing issue."

He added: “The waiting times faced by people in these areas is proof that we are a very long way from realising many of the goals in the Justice Ministers Zero Tolerance Strategy.

"Ultimately, those being failed are mainly women and children fleeing domestic and gender-based violence, who are finding themselves on a court waiting list for up to 12 weeks here.
“In last year’s Alternative Budget, Sinn Féin’s Justice spokesperson Martin Kenny pledged €5.7m to appoint more judges at District and Circuit Court level, which would assist in reducing waiting times,” he said.

“Government has continued to ignore our calls for additional judges and insist that a report on District and Circuit court appointments is required.”

Deputy Browne also hit out at the Government’s handling of the issue saying improvements must be made across the department in order to improve the lives of affected Tipperary people.

“Fine Gael have been in the Justice department for well over a decade and have failed to provide the very basic requirement of access to justice for those across the country seeking protection from domestic and intimate partner violence.

“It is time for us to do better for survivors in county Tipperary,” he said.