Zero tolerance campaign ‘about community we want to live in’

Westmeath County Council have heard a detailed presentation on gender-based violence and the work of the Mullingar-based organisation Éist, as councillors considered a motion calling for the adoption of a zero tolerance pledge.

The presentation was delivered by Hazel Behan and Barbara Kelly of Éist at the December meeting of the council, in advance of a motion from Cllr Julie McCourt seeking council support for a community-led zero tolerance approach to violence against women and girls.

Addressing the meeting, Ms Behan said the motion before councillors was “not symbolic” and should be viewed as a concrete commitment.

“A zero tolerance pledge is not aspirational. It is necessary, urgent and overdue,” she said, adding that Ireland has a higher than average rate of female rape victims compared with other EU countries, and some 25 to 34 per 100,000 women report rape annually.

Drawing on garda and health service data, Ms Behan outlined the scale of gender-based violence nationally and locally. She told councillors that the Meath Westmeath Garda Division recorded 4,035 domestic abuse-related calls in 2024, representing an increase of 16% on the previous year. Across the midlands region, domestic abuse calls have increased by 45% over the last four years, she said.

Referring to sexual violence, Ms Behan cited figures from the Mullingar Sexual Assault Treatment Unit, which treated 120 people in 2021. She said those figures did not reflect the full extent of the issue, noting that research indicates fewer than 5% of adults who experience sexual violence report it to the gardaí.

“Silence is not consent. Silence is merely survival,” she said.

Ms Behan described Éist as a survivor-led, community-based organisation founded in Mullingar to support people affected by rape and gender-based violence. She said it is the first service of its kind based in the town.

She outlined the services provided by Éist, including one-to-one survivor support, counselling and psychotherapy, advocacy through medical, garda and legal systems, training, education and community awareness work. She said that the organisation currently operates without core public funding. Ms Behan told councillors that gender-based violence is not solely a criminal justice issue.

“It is a human rights issue and one that thrives in cultures where silence, minimisation and inaction are allowed to persist,” she said.

She said local authorities have a role to play through housing policy, community leadership and visible public commitment, adding that survivors often face additional barriers when seeking housing, safety and stability.

Ms Kelly, a counsellor and psychotherapist with Éist, addressed councillors on the long-term psychological effects of sexual and gender-based violence.

She said survivors frequently experience trauma-related symptoms long after the violence has ended, including anxiety, depression, isolation, difficulties in relationships and challenges maintaining employment.

“For many survivors, the harm does not end when the violence ends. In fact, this is often when it truly begins,” Ms Kelly said.

She said access to trauma-informed counselling is critical, but delays, lack of resources and fear of not being believed can prevent survivors from engaging with services.

Ms Kelly also spoke about the importance of early intervention and education, saying that addressing attitudes and behaviours at community level is central to prevention.

Both speakers stressed the importance of local leadership in setting standards of behaviour and signalling that abuse and harassment are not tolerated.

Ms Behan concluded by urging councillors to adopt the zero tolerance pledge and to do so publicly.

“This is about what kind of community we want to be,” she said.

Councillors back pledge following debate at council meeting

Councillors from across the chamber expressed broad support for a zero tolerance approach to gender-based violence following a presentation from the Mullingar-based organisation Éist at the December meeting of Westmeath County Council.

The discussion took place as part of a motion from Cllr Julie McCourt calling on the council to support a zero tolerance pledge and to work with community organisations to address violence against women and girls.

Proposing the motion, Cllr McCourt thanked Hazel Behan and Bairbre Kelly for their presentation and said the issue affected communities across the county.

“What we’re asking is for the council to support it, in any way they can, from the executive levels right down to ourselves on the street,” she said.

The cathaoirleach, Cllr Aoife Davitt, who seconded the motion, said the presentation had captured the full attention of the chamber: “Every single person wanted to hear every statistic. They wanted to hear the clarity that you delivered and the passion and I think they wanted to make sure that they actually understood.”

She said that while the rise in the figures was alarming, it was important that the message went out that people should feel safe and supported about coming forward, and that they should feel the ability to take the brave step of sharing their story.

Cllr Denis Leonard said the council had a responsibility to engage seriously with the issue and to support local services and he commended the Éist approach that victims and support services should stand side by side.

He felt that equality and education were important tools in the fight against any type of sexual exploitation, and said there had been silence for too long on such a fundamental issue and on the trauma that goes with it.

“It’s a trauma that stays with you. It stays within the body. The body doesn’t forget. You hold whatever experience you’ve had in life, and it stays with you throughout life,” he said.

Cllr Mick Dollard referred to recent changes in council housing policy, noting that people fleeing domestic violence are now recognised within letting priorities. He commented too on the fact that the new organisation is called Éist – the Irish word for ‘listen’ – and said that for many people in these threatening situations, and their families, it was important that they could sit down in comfort and confidentiality and be listened to.

Cllr David Jones said he and other councillors were increasingly being contacted by constituents seeking assistance to leave unsafe living situations. “We are hearing these stories more often,” he said, stating that this showed the need for accessible, local support services.

Cllr Ken Glynn commended the speakers and asked what practical steps councillors could take beyond adopting the pledge.

In response, Ms Behan said one immediate action was for the council to take the pledge publicly and to ensure it was reflected in policy and practice.

She also said Éist could provide training to councillors and council staff on how to respond appropriately when constituents disclose experiences of sexual or gender-based violence.

“People often come to councillors first,” she said. “How that conversation is handled matters.”

Several councillors raised the importance of discretion in housing cases and the need for outreach beyond larger towns.

Ms Behan said Éist works with people across the county and also supports men and LGBTQ+ survivors, groups she said are often under-represented in official statistics. “There is no single profile of a survivor,” she said.

The relationship between Éist and other services was also discussed, including the Athlone-based Esker House, which, Cllr Frankie Keena pointed out, had expanded its services to Mullingar. Ms Behan said the organisations work alongside one another through referral pathways, and Éist focus primarily on rape and sexual violence.

Cllr Tom Farrell said that for too long, this issue had been hidden, and he felt it was important to get the message out that that was not how it should be.

Cllr Vinny McCormack said localised figures brought the issue into sharp focus and noted increased violence during and after Covid, warning that the festive period can heighten risks for women and children, and stressing the importance of promoting available supports.

Cllr Niall Gaffney thanked the speakers for their presentation and said the discussion showed a strong willingness among councillors and staff to engage and support positive change. He said the zero tolerance pledge could encourage more survivors to come forward and pledged to lobby government and party colleagues for greater support and funding.

Cllr Liam McDaniel welcomed the zero tolerance pledge and said it was important that councillors sign up to it.

He highlighted the need for greater outreach in rural areas and said elected members could play a key role in ensuring people in outlying communities are aware of available supports.

One of the points that struck Cllr Paul Hogan was that Éist is not in receipt of public funding.

“It’s a shame that it’s happening in terms of the discussions happening in December, when we’ve just passed our budget for this year. But hopefully next year, we can get the discussion going again in terms of October, in terms of the budget that we may be able to allocate some of our own funding and get that ball rolling,” he said.

Ms Kelly addressed councillors again during the discussion, speaking about everyday attitudes and behaviours. “Zero tolerance isn’t just about policies,” she said. “It’s about what we challenge, what we ignore, and what we allow to pass.”

She encouraged councillors to use their influence in community settings, particularly during the festive period, to challenge inappropriate behaviour and language.