Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The enormous impact on the lives of people across the country is particularly evident in those who seek access to the family courts. How will the family court and family law Bill the Minister mentioned address the adversarial nature of family law proceedings? It has to be available to anyone who needs it. This includes the reassurance of access to barring, safety and protection orders but also the other side of family court cases: access to children, guardianship and maintenance payments. Women's Aid said they have experienced a 43% increase in calls to their helpline. The Garda attempted to contact more than 8,000 people living in a dangerous environment. These areas also need additional resources. Will the Minister give a guarantee or commitment that any service dealing with those who live with domestic abuse will see an increase in the resources being made available to them to meet that increase in demand?

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