Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-27
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Jim O'Callaghan (FF), Dublin Bay South

Last week, I commended Margaret Loftus. I do not know if it was to the Deputy but I certainly commended her in the House to a number of other Deputies. I commend her bravery and her perseverance. Ultimately, she did get the conviction she sought. A court held in her favour and recognised that she had been a victim of an assault and a judgment was delivered in that regard.
The Deputy spoke about issues in respect of An Garda Síochána. I have to mention that Margaret Loftus commended Commissioner Justin Kelly on the role he played in the prosecution and how seriously it was taken when he got involved.
I also understand that the husband in question was suspended from An Garda Síochána in 2018. The Garda, therefore, did respond to it. I want to ensure that the criminal justice system, whilst remaining fair, is sped up as much as possible. In order to achieve that, I am putting further resources into it. The number of judges on the Central Criminal Court has never been higher. We are going to create more posts for judges later this year. More judges will mean more resources and that cases will be resolved and dealt with more quickly.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-27/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:01+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-27