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Campaign to help domestic abuse
victims
02.05.08
PEOPLE in Inishowen who
are suffering physical and emotional abuse in their
relationships are being assured they can get help.
This message of hope was issued to women yesterday
at the launch in Buncrana of a Sinn Féin campaign to
tackle domestic violence and to promote community
policing on this and other crimes.
Also present with SF councillors were Mary Doherty
and Sheenagh McMahon of Inishowen Women's Outreach
which supports and advises domestic abuse victims
and their children.
Buncrana Town Councillor Daren Lalor is heading up
the countywide campaign on behalf of his party. |
''The launch is
two-fold. First it gives Sinn Féin in Inishowen an
opportunity to put into the public domain our
submissions to the Garda Policing Plan for 2008 and
launch Sinn Féin's five demands for building safer
communities," he said.
"It will inform the public of our information
postcards which includes our five demands for |
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tackling domestic
violence and provides important contact helpline
numbers and details of groups that can help
victims."
Among Sinn Féin demands on domestic violence is a
call for more safe, suitable emergency and long-term
accommodation for victims as well as adequate
funding for essential frontline services.
Cllr. Lalor said while the Garda Policing Plan for
2008 did not go far enough in its measures to tackle
domestic and sexual violence, Sinn Féin welcomed the
fact that this type of crime does feature in the
Garda plan.
Meanwhile, Cllr. Lalor said the plan was "a huge
improvement" on previous plans and he said some of
Sinn Féin's proposals had been included through the
submission stage.
"This year is the first year that An Garda Siochana
has invited submissions for the plan and we believe
this has contributed to the plan being an
improvement on previous years.
"We welcome the emphasis on tackling serious drugs
and gun grime which we have been campaigning on, but
we are also disappointed those resources for Garda
Drug Squads has not been doubled as Sinn Féin has
proposed," added Cllr. Lalor.
He said that his party's key priority for 2008 was
to see more Gardaí on foot and bicycles patrolling
anti-social hotspots and residential areas with
greater frequency. |
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