The Commission, as Ireland’s national human rights and equality body, will actively participate in monitoring the implementation of the Convention in Ireland, and will independently reporting to the Council of Europe’s expert body (GREVIO) on State progress to combat and prevent violence against women and domestic violence.

In a policy statement issued today to all Oireachtas members to mark the entry into force of the Convention, the Commission set out priority areas for policy and legislative action to meet State obligations under the Istanbul Convention.

These include data collection and reporting mechanisms on violence against women, which the Commission said are currently lacking and must be made more robust if the State is to understand the nature and scale of the issue.

It added that focus is required on combating violence against specific groups of women such as women with disabilities, women from Traveller and Roma communities, LGBTI+ women and women in institutional settings.

Furthermore, the Commission said that access to specialist support services must be improved. Recent reports indicate that Ireland has less than a third of the number of domestic violence refuges required under EU standards, nine counties have no refuges.

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said: “Protecting and supporting victims has been a key priority for this Government. Domestic and sexual violence are pernicious and widespread evils, affecting all social classes and genders.

“The entry into force of the Istanbul Convention sends an important message that Ireland will not tolerate violence against women and domestic violence. It is further proof of our commitment to protecting and supporting victims of this violence.”