Yesterday was International Human Rights Day. It came, as Members know, a week after the tragic death of Jonathan Corrie across the street. It came on a day when tens of thousands gathered outside this House to protest against Government policy on water. Many of the protesters consider the water policy as a public rights issue. It also came in the aftermath of the frightening exposé by RTE of the inhumane treatment of residents in Áras Attracta.

I put it to the Minister, however, that one of the most dangerous places for women and children in this country is in fact the family home, and that one of the most basic rights is for people to be able to enjoy the residential amenity of their home without fear of violence, be it mental or physical. We have a significant problem in this country with domestic violence. We are told that in excess of 18,000 reports were received last year by Women’s Aid. The Garda Inspectorate reports to us a concern that while 11,000 reports were made to the Garda, only 287 arrests were made.

We are conscious as well that since 1996 a total of 204 women have died, most of them in the family home, and most of them at the hands of either their husband or ex-partner. A start in addressing that awful problem would be to address the funding crisis in Childline. The service provides support to children in situations where extreme violence exists in their home. A total of 45,000 children called Childline last year. The service was established in 1998 but the ISPCC now indicates that it cannot continue to provide a service in the evening.

Could the Minister ensure that the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs will move to augment the additional funding being raised by Childline to ensure that the service continues to be available? Is the Government prepared to approve the Istanbul Convention and to provide the necessary resources to ensure the State can start to combat violence against women in a real and meaningful way around the country?

I thank the Deputy for raising what really is a very important and multifaceted issue, namely, domestic violence and the related issue of gender-based violence. The Government has specific campaigns to alert people to the issue, because by its very nature, unlike violent crimes that occur on the street, a lot of it is invisible even to the Garda. In many instances people are so intimidated within the domestic setting that they feel inhibited from any reaction and the situation continues for many years.

The issue is a real one. It is multifaceted in the sense that we need to have more than one response. The availability of outreach helplines is something of importance, not only the example the Deputy has instanced, namely, Childline, which is specifically focused on children and run by the ISPCC, a very important charitable organisation in the State, but many others such as the service provided by the Rape Crisis Centre and the Samaritans that are available for people in domestic crisis.

We must ensure people can also reach out to the Garda Síochána in such instances because violence against anybody in any setting is a crime. I will discuss with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the two points raised by Deputy Ó Fearghaíl, namely, adequate funding to ensure that Childline, as one of the important helplines, is available, and also the current position on the Istanbul Convention.

I welcome the Minister’s response but it is pretty inadequate because, first and foremost, we need a pretty clear commitment at this stage to Childline. That is the point to which children at risk direct their attention and that is where they expect to receive the psychological and emotional support-----

Hear, hear.

-----they so desperately need. The sum of money involved, namely, €600,000, is not astronomical. It is not beyond the ability of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to give a commitment to provide the money.

Hear, hear.

It is through ratification of the Istanbul Convention, and its practical application, including the provision of resources to enable its ratification, that we can do something meaningful to combat violence, in particular against women around the country.

We are already in a situation where the number of women’s shelters is hopelessly inadequate. In my constituency, a hostel was built but it remained empty for two years because the resources to open it were not provided. When eventually some resources were provided, only half of the residential units were effectively open. Must we wait until a woman or child is brutalised to death in their home before action is taken, in the way meaningful action has in effect been taken by Government in the aftermath of the tragic death of Jonathan Corrie?

Hear, hear.

Many actions have been taken not only by the State directly, but by a panoply of local organisations. The women’s refuge in my home town of Wexford operates with significant HSE and local authority support, and public support, which is really important.

Fund-raising.

That model is replicated across the country. An enormous amount of focus and voluntary effort is evident as well as State support for the very things the Deputy has underlined as important. I absolutely and fundamentally agree that such importance should be afforded to domestic violence.

I wish to make two points on the matter; one of the biggest difficulties is giving the capacity to people to reach out and make the call or to walk into a shelter. For many people, psychologically that is a very difficult thing to do. That means better communication, presentation and understanding at local level.

We are talking about children. The Minister cannot hop it or drive down it.

I would not be flippant about something as important as the matter under discussion.

I know.

In terms of the helplines, I will discuss specifically with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the helpline to which the Deputy referred, but it is one of many helplines that are important in this area. By definition, Childline is aimed at children but what the Deputy has instanced is primarily violence against women-----

And children.

-----and a range of other helplines focus on that issue, including the helpline provided by the Rape Crisis Centre and others, which must all be resourced to ensure an adequate communication system is available for people who are in peril or who have been abused in order that they can reach out. The most important step for people to take is to call the Garda.