Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to hear the Deputy raise the issue of domestic violence because it is something that I feel particularly passionate about. Tusla funds most of the domestic violence refuges and €750,000 was provided during the Covid crisis to support Tusla in taking the basic measures around ensuring they had additional personal protective equipment, PPE, within the services.

Many refuges provide communal living. We know that communal living is not appropriate from a public health point of view as regards Covid so 42 units could not be used. The funding that Tusla provided during the period allowed for 52 additional units to be provided to make up for the missing 42 units. In addition, an 11-bed emergency centre was opened in Dublin for women and families in need of emergency accommodation.

Since my appointment I have met representatives of Women's Aid, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre and Safe Ireland.

We would have discussed issues to do with the funding for the Covid-19 response and the wider issues with domestic, gender and sexual-based violence. We need to look at the number of refuges provided around the country and the amount of space they have. Tusla is undertaking a review of that and we hope that will be finished by the end of this year. That will be important, both the issue of the quantum of refuges and also the issue of where they need to be located because I know that particular parts of the country were disregarded. There were two new refuges in south Dublin. Sonas opened one in south Dublin-----