Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I apologise; I was caught up in the Chamber but I read all of the opening statements prior to coming in here. My first question is for the Donore Community Drug and Alcohol Team. It was mentioned that domestic violence is a common factor for women in addiction. I have talked to a few services and one of the things they have told me, which I would have already known, is that when women try to leave a situation of domestic violence while in addiction, they often stay because they do not wish to go into homelessness services. They believe it is better to stay than to leave. What kind of interagency approach is needed? At one stage, there were 12-month beds in Dublin for women who were fleeing but they are now 12-week beds. What do we need to do? What kind of interagency approach is needed to look at domestic violence and addiction together?