Pringle pledges support for Safe Ireland manifesto
- Updated: 5th February 2020
‘I am proud to stand with Donegal Women’s Centre and Donegal Women’s Domestic Violence Service,’ Pringle says
Thomas Pringle – 5 Feb 2020
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Independent candidate Thomas Pringle today pledged his support to Safe Ireland’s manifesto protecting women and children living with coercive control and domestic abuse.
Pringle said: “I am proud to stand with Donegal Women’s Centre and Donegal Women’s Domestic Violence Service in committing to make Ireland the safest country for women and children.”
“Abuse is not only physical, it can also be psychological, financial and/or sexual. The damage it can do to the mental well-being is immense and I find it important to stand up for these issues, which is why I am an active voice for it at The Council in Europe, the home of the Istanbul Convention.”
Safe Ireland’s five-point manifesto and its comprehensive strategy to transform the response to coercive control and domestic abuse aligns with Pringle’s vision for a more robust structures system that support victims and survivors in their journey
Pringle said: “Safe Ireland reported that at least one in three women in Ireland will experience abuse by a male partner in their lifetime. They said that in 2018, more than 1,600 children lived in a refuge with their mothers who had to flee a violent male partner, and in the same year here were 3,256 unmet requests for refuge because the services were full.
“Domestic violence is on the rise in Ireland, with femicide rates increasing every year. In my manifesto, ‘For Donegal. For the People’, I have prioritised support for local-led charities and services that provide help to victims of domestic abuse, with a particular focus on isolated areas in Donegal.
“I also want to see funding ensured for small, domestic violence support teams covering a large rural area and for the roll-out of a fully funded outreach programme for Donegal.
“Even though Ireland has ratified the Istanbul Convention, it has yet to implement it, with a focus on prevention, protection and prosecution of violence against women and children,” he said.
Safe Ireland’s comprehensive five-point manifesto calls on candidates to pledge to prevent homelessness, reform our justice system, prioritise a national prevention strategy, strengthen the infrastructure that women and children rely on, and prioritise investment, leadership and oversight.
Pringle concluded: “Government must act on these issues as part of a comprehensive response to coercive control and domestic violence. I fully support this response, which prioritises the rights and needs of women and children in Donegal and across the country.”
ENDS
