Member's statement: Domestic Abuse Awareness Week
Member's statement by Ms Connie Egan on .
- MLA
- Ms Connie Egan
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 21 October 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Domestic Abuse Awareness Week
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5197177
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I welcome the Housing Executive's first ever Domestic Abuse Awareness Week. Its aims are vital: to raise awareness of the connection between domestic abuse and homelessness; to highlight the support services that are available to those experiencing domestic abuse; and to echo a message that, I am sure, all of us across the Chamber agree on: "home" should mean "safe". Data released last month revealed that, from July 2024 to June 2025, 29,740 domestic abuse incidents were reported in Northern Ireland; that is 15 per 1,000 in our population. Last December, the Housing Executive shared that, each year, it helps over 1,000 households who present as homeless due to domestic abuse. Startling though they are, we know that those numbers are not a true reflection of the scale of domestic abuse in our communities. So many victims and survivors refuse to come forward out of shame or fear for their safety. It is an inescapable fact that domestic violence has permeated the fabric of our society, be it physical, psychological or financial abuse; coercive control; sexual violence; or any other intimidation or threat. The Housing Executive has organised various opportunities for people to come together and reflect on the victims of violence and the survivors who have suffered, including a candlelit vigil in Lisburn last night, which my colleagues attended; a panel to reflect on the impact of domestic abuse on our society; and progress on initiatives such as the Housing Executive's Sanctuary scheme. Abuse can be experienced by anyone, no matter their gender, in a range of different types of relationships and circumstances. In many cases, support services, such as Women's Aid, Nexus and the Men's Advisory Project, are left to pick up the pieces. There has been real momentum behind the campaign to connect homelessness and domestic abuse in the past year. In March, I had the opportunity to attend a legislative theatre event on homelessness and domestic abuse. That was a unique opportunity to listen to the lived experience of those who have found safety and support in the system and also those who feel that they have been failed. It was a powerful way of connecting policymakers, support organisations and victims and survivors to collaborate, share ideas and take forward actions to improve services. Everyone across society has a role to play in tackling domestic and sexual abuse. It is vital that we all step up to the plate. I look forward to learning about how this inaugural Domestic Abuse Awareness Week Northern Ireland progresses, and reiterate the essential message: "home" should mean "safe".
428 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.03 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.64).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.03 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.64 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.03 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.82 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.17 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:31 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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