Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like my colleagues, Deputies O'Callaghan and Murnane O'Connor, I appreciate the work of the personnel in the Department of Justice and Equality, including its agencies such as the Prison Service and An Garda Síochána. I commend the work of An Garda Síochána during these difficult times. Garda personnel have been a reassuring presence in our communities, and this work demonstrates clearly the value of community policing. Visiting older or vulnerable people has been very reassuring for many individuals and families. Their work, alongside other voluntary and statutory groups, is important in ensuring that families are not left isolated or without groceries or medical supplies. I raised directly with both the Tánaiste and the Minister for Health the lacuna in the law whereby gardaí are empowered, if necessary, to restrict the movements of persons in our State, but cannot apply that power to persons resident outside our jurisdiction. This law should be amended. Similarly, there should be no tolerance at our airports and ports for people refusing to fill out passenger locator forms.

The Minister and the Minister of State may recall that I raised the absence of a refuge centre in Cavan-Monaghan with them during recent debates on justice. I also raised the matter with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. We are all well aware that the number of women's refuge spaces in our State is well below our obligations under the Istanbul Convention. In a vast region such as Cavan-Monaghan, made up of two large rural counties, we have no refuge to support women leaving situations of domestic abuse. I know of women who have had to travel to neighbouring counties such as Sligo, Meath and Louth to seek emergency accommodation. This is a tragic situation. We should be able to support these people in our own counties at a time they are very vulnerable. Towards the end of 2019, I received correspondence from Tusla, which indicated that funding would not be available for significant service developments in 2020. However, it also stated that it would continue to plan towards future developments. That followed a debate on legislation in this House in December. I appeal to the Minister to use his good offices to have the needs of Cavan and Monaghan prioritised and I sincerely hope he will do so.

We must support women through their most harrowing experience. We must ensure that adequate services are provided and that people who are suffering through domestic violence have accommodation and support services when they need them. I commend the work of local groups such as Tearmann domestic violence service in Cavan-Monaghan and Safe Ireland at national level along with other groups on their ongoing support for victims of domestic abuse. In many instances, they are providing much-needed services and accommodation on very limited budgets, services that should be provided by the State. Safe Ireland was in touch with the Department at the end of April seeking the Minister's support for a proposal it put directly to the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection. This proposal requests access to emergency rent supplement for women and children in need of immediate relocation as a result of domestic violence for a period of three months and-or the duration of the Covid-19 national emergency. As the Minister is taking the lead on behalf of the Government on tackling domestic violence during these troubled times, I appeal to him to pursue this proposal directly with the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

I understand that centres providing services are experiencing a significant increase in demand for those services due to the rise in domestic violence, which we know of through reports from An Garda Síochána and which is also evidenced internationally. I appeal to the Minister to have the provision of a refuge centre for Cavan-Monaghan given priority attention in the service plans for 2020. I previously noted how people seeking such accommodation services must travel to Louth, Meath or Sligo from parts of Cavan and Monaghan. This is not acceptable because in some instances, children are attending school in normal times and cannot go back to their normal school if they are so distant from their home, where they should be living but which they have had to leave because of violence. I again mention Tearmann domestic violence service in Cavan-Monaghan, which is very dependent on fund-raising, as are other services throughout the country. It does great work and shows great commitment and its personnel provide welcome and much-needed support for people who are very vulnerable. We need to ensure that our obligations laid out in the second national strategy and obligations under the Istanbul Convention are honoured.

Regarding problems facing residents in direct provision centres, I had detailed correspondence with the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, and appreciate his detailed reply to me. I would like him to ensure the commitments he made in that correspondence to follow up and to ensure that much better accommodation services are provided for people in direct provision are as much as possible during these very troubled times.

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