Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)

I agree with that.

Let me refer to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. I represent Dublin Fingal West, which includes the towns of Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush and Lusk, the rural villages and the area all the way down as far as north Santry and a little bit of north Finglas. It is a very mixed area. For a Dublin constituency, it is very different in that it is rural, urban and suburban. When I met the acting superintendent in Balbriggan, I asked him what the two key issues in the area were. He said domestic, sexual and gender-based violence was a really big one. Balbriggan is the youngest and most culturally diverse large town in the country and it is growing rapidly. With regard to being able to ensure we are addressing the issues, it would be good for me to understand what money is being invested in our response to queries. Do the local gardaí have sufficient training and funding to deal with such a huge issue? Women's Aid reported yesterday the highest level of disclosures in its 50-year history.