AQW 40785/22-27

Ms Connie Egan
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 17/02/2026
Answered On Date: 18/03/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health whether his Department has engaged with the Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime in Northern Ireland in relation to her December 2025 report, Totally Invisible, into the experiences of domestic violence and abuse victims and survivors and children engaging with family court processes.

Answer:

I met with the Commissioner Designate in relation to this research in October 2025 and spoke at the launch event. I have subsequently nominated a number of representatives from my Department to take part in a Family Court Pilot Task and Finish Working Group to examine what practical steps could be taken and the barriers that may need to be overcome, to make sure the family courts consistently protect victims of domestic abuse and their children from further traumatisation.