Local and regional bodies to combat domestic violence are to be established around the State, the Minister of State for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Ms Mary Wallace, has announced.
The local bodies will improve co-operation between services which already exist - including gardai, refuges and women's groups - and will help to provide increased services, she said.
Regional planning committees will draw up broad strategies to deal with domestic violence, she told the national convention in Dublin of the William Glasser Institute Ireland, which represents counsellors and others who use reality therapy.
Ms Wallace said she will shortly establish a national steering committee which will work with the Department to create regional and local committees.
The steering committee will include representatives of women's refuges, rape crisis centres and women's groups, as well as of Government departments.
The Department is to make a grant of £10,000 to Women's Aid for research into the effectiveness of existing domestic violence legislation.
Ms Wallace said 95 per cent of the victims of domestic violence are women, but she wanted to acknowledge that some men also suffer domestic violence.