This Government is absolutely committed to combatting domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) in all its forms, and I am acutely aware that such abuse does not stop at our borders.
The Deputy will be aware that both Ireland and the United Kingdom are parties to the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters.
The Deputy refers specifically to restraining orders and safety orders and, depending on the nature of the order made, it may be possible to seek recognition and enforcement of such an order in another state which is a party to that Convention, including in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Where the person named in an order violates the conditions set out, the matter should be reported to the relevant police service.
In the area of private international law, in additional to ongoing bilateral engagement, both Ireland and the UK engage at the annual HCCH Conference on General Affairs and Policy which facilitates fruitful discussions on the various instruments which apply to both countries. In that context, preliminary work has started on exploring the possibility of an instrument on the recognition and enforcement of protection orders.
Further, officials in my Department who work on DSGBV issues regularly engage with their counterparts in the UK and with criminal justice agencies from both jurisdictions. These engagements take place both formally through the Victims Policy Advisory Group and through bilateral meetings to facilitate valuable information sharing and the exchange on best practices to enhance co-operation and consistency in our approach.
