A local TD has called for a major reform of the courts system.
Her calls come following the sentencing of Cathal Crotty, after he was convicted of beating Natasha O'Brien unconscious in an unprovoked attack.
Crotty, a member of the Defence Forces, was handed a three year suspended sentence, however the DPP has since appealed this sentence, which they deem to be unjustly lenient.
TD for Cavan Monaghan, Deputy Pauline Tully, says the sentences being handed down are not acting as deterrents. She says more needs to be done to tackle gender based violence, highlighting the lack of a women's refuge in Cavan and Monaghan