Ms Eibhlin Byrne:

To be absolutely blunt, historically, a lot of services arose because individuals in areas fought hard to get a particular refuge or crisis centre in their area. There was no overall planning for this sector. That will be a huge challenge for this agency and for all of us in the sector to ensure that men, women and children throughout the country get an equal chance of a service. I feel very strongly that living in a refuge or a crisis centre is no way for children, in particular, to live. These should be emergency options and there should be longer-term solutions within communities where families can live.