Health Committee Meeting

Today, Tuesday 29th June, members of RFFJ N Ireland Branch attended a reception, at Stormont Parliament, hosted by the Health Committee.

Picture left to right: Dr Deeny ( Independent ), Brian Quinn RFFJNI, Cliffy Owens RFFJNI, Jim Wells MLA (and Chair of Health Committee), Peter Morris RFFJNI, Hugh McCloy RFFJNI.

The aim of this meeting was to push for Government support in setting up MensAid NI. We feel the need for this setup due to the amount of calls RFFJNI members receive from emotionally distraught fathers and men, who have become victim of domestic violence, and have experienced the soul destroying family court system.

Members sat with Jim Wells MLA and Chair of Committee, Claire McGill MLA Sinn Fein and Dr Deeny Independent.

The meeting began by Jim Wells MLA asking about RFFJ and any connection with F4J. Peter Morris explained the founding of RFFJ and commented on the structure of the group. We then went on to highlight the issue which we wished to present.

MensAid NI was put forward as a group which needs to be established, with adequate funding, to aid men suffering from domestic abuse, emotional trauma. We entwined this into why we are members of RFFJ and pointed out where this need arises, from Family breakdown, Court Process, Domestic Violence to men coming against a brick wall in regards support to guide them through such emotional drain. MAPNI were picked up on, as the current group representing men on the DHSSPS Regional Steering Group for Domestic Violence, with their finances being aired by members of RFFJNI, in the context that costs for the year were over £53,000, yet only £10,000 was spent on services to help men. ( the greatest help being in the form of anger management, which is the wrong assistance being given )

Hugh McCloy then reiterated RFFJ objective of 50/50 shared parenting, false allegations , the easiness of granting of non mol orders and the current failings of the family court. Jim Wells MLA began a retort of " what about the fathers who drink all day, the ones who beat their wives, the ones who interfere with their children". He was quickly cut down by RFFJNI members who replied that this happens within both fathers and mothers but politicians will not live up to the reality of this. Hugh McCloy also highlighted how the greatest risk to a child is with a mothers new partner. Jim Wells MLA agreed, but was then quickly asked why the biological father had to endure court processes, welfare reports etc to prove he can be a father, yet a new partner doesn`t have to. He failed/was unable to answer.

Claire McGill was highly supportive of our business plan for MensAid NI, as was Dr Deeny. Dr Deeny spoke by agreeing that society hasn't lived up to reality, that politicians are scared to agree to our issues due to the thoughts of being classed as "women haters".

It became very apparent that Jim Wells MLA and Chair of Health Committee, was not fully informed of the research, even although Peter Morris forwarded this business plan to them last Friday. He was caught on the hop, and has proved himself to be stuck in the dark old ages. This has proved very interesting for RFFJNI considering he is a chair of a committee for which he does not seem able to fulfil in all aspects of health, especially mens issues.

Cliffy Owens and Brian Quinn also highlighted the issue of non mol orders and false allegations, which in turn Dr Deeny agreed this had to be changed somehow. Jim Wells MLA closed off the meeting by asking for our summary.

This was given in the form of RFFJ objectives, asking the Health Committee to work with Policing and Justice Department and to confer with each other and understand how family court process affects the health of men for which there is no current support structure in place for, and for Government to look at funding to provide a refuge for male victims of domestic violence.

Dr Deeny has given his full support to RFFJ and MensAid NI.

RFFJNI will have another meeting with Health Committe, arranged through Danny Kennedy MLA and Chair of the Committee of the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister, with whom we held a meeting with two weeks ago.