FORMER Mayor of Ennis cllr. Mary Howard (FG) has called for “an urgent reform of Ireland’s family laws”.
The county town cllr stated that Ireland’s legal framework has deeply failed victims of domestic violence at the June meeting of Clare County Council.
In a motion put before the local authority, Howard asked “for urgent reform of Ireland’s family law system. Across Ireland, victim-survivors of intimate partner violence, abuse and coercive control are navigating family law proceedings that are deeply misaligned with the realities of abuse”, the Ennis woman added.
Giving context on the issue, the 2020/21 Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council reiterated the need for change in Ireland’s current family law system. “I’m calling for urgent reform of Irelands family laws. The current system is failing those who need protecting the most, accessors to separation proceedings are being continually retraumatised. One of the central issues raised is the continued use of the in camera rule.”.
“This campaign is calling for greater transparency while still protecting children and survivors. Domestic abuse continues far beyond physical violence”, she added.
First elected to the local authority in 2014, Howard has often brought women’s issues to the fore of local politics, proposing a motion in 2021 to “make breast screening in all private hospitals free to all women and utilise all available resources and facilities to ensure the best outcomes for all women”.
Party colleague cllr. Joe Garrihy supported the motion, highlighting the need for reform due to increasing rates of domestic violence in Ireland. “I welcome the motion, it was very well summed up. I noted recently looking at crime statistics that domestic violence was increasing the most”, the Lisdoonvarna native stated.
“Too many victims of violence are failed by the legal process. Coercive control in particular, which is deeply damaging can be difficult to prove”, he continued.
Support organisation Women’s Aid published the results of a survey in 2025 that found that “35% of women in Ireland, more than one in three, have experienced psychological, physical and/or sexual abuse from an intimate partner”.
The organisation also found that the District Court received 25,270 new applications for protections under Domestic Violence legislation in 2024. This is almost the same as the previous year which saw 25,570 in 2023, and 23,356 in 2022. It remains up from 20,501 new cases in 2019, marking a 23% increase over 6 years.
