SDLP Foyle MLA Sinéad McLaughlin has said that the case for investing in domestic abuse support services is clear.
She was speaking following the publication of new research by Women’s Aid showing that every pound of investment in domestic abuse support services saves £9 to the public purse.
From 1st January 2022- 31st December 2022, there were almost 33,000 domestic abuse incidents in the North of Ireland, including more than 3,000 in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area.
Said Ms McLaughlin said: “It’s clear that investing in domestic abuse services isn’t just the right thing to do, it is also cost effective as well.
“As well as our strong moral responsibility to tackle this heinous crime, this research shows that investing in domestic abuse services, especially in early intervention results in far fewer costs to the public purse.
“I strongly believe that the decision to fund these vital services shouldn’t be seen just as an expenditure but as an investment and one that we can’t afford not to make.
“In Derry, we are fortunate to have a model of best practice in the Foyle Family Justice Centre which brings services together under one roof.
“Yet too often, services have been forced to rely on a variety of different funding streams, instead of government stepping in and living up to its responsibilities.
“This new research makes the economic case for investment in these life-changing facilities clear for anyone to see.
“As we wait on a Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy to be developed, there can be little doubt that unless a concrete budget line is attached to the Strategy, we won’t see the urgent and necessary progress made on tackling the scourge of domestic abuse.”
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