Ms Fiona Ryan:

To echo Dr. Holt's comments, for some families, it relates to being near that centre of interest so they may not be the highest risk but being near that centre of interest because of disability supports may outweigh their need to get away. For other families and other women and children, getting as far away from where the perpetrator is and their extended sphere of influence is very important. This also goes to Deputy Ryan's point. Deputy Ó Broin reflected it as well.

We need fluidity. Members are asking for solid responses. Tusla and the new Department need to have that conversation. Domestic violence support services, which are on the front line and can bring that on-the-ground knowledge and shape those policy responses, need to be involved in that conversation. I am speaking for SONAS but I know other services feel like that. We feel that we have been marginalised and that we are there looking after the women and children on the front line but nobody is hearing or seeing us, which is one of our motivations for coming here today. That multi-agency response at both policy level and on the ground is one solid thing I would recommend to the committee. Local authorities must recognise that risk and safety are key determining factors, that they need to be criteria and that they outweigh centre of interest or housing need.

In terms of responses, women and children who are victims of domestic violence require a tiered response. Ultimately, people want to live safely. The issue of whether that is being able to go back to their own home with a domestic violence order, either a barring order or a safety order, or moving into local authority accommodation is down the line. The reality is that they have short-term accommodation needs and cannot be accommodated, which is what needs to be worked on. Again, this is about thinking creatively. What is our housing stock? What can be adopted? What can we do to move on from refuges those women and children who do not need to be there anymore? If they can go into general housing - with or without supports - that is great but what can we do to keep it moving? Again, I would say that there was a shortage of appropriate accommodation before the homeless crisis arose. The crisis has just added to it exponentially.