Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The pandemic is hard for everyone but it has been a uniquely horrific time for victims of domestic abuse and violence. Demand for services has increased by at least 30%. I heard the Taoiseach when he was reflecting on level 5 and the gravity of imposing such stringent restrictions on citizens. He cited his concerns about child protection and domestic abuse and violence. What additional supports and resources will be put in place for victims in terms of refuge places, additional resources and funding for support services to meet the demand over the next six weeks? Will the Taoiseach set that out for us? The Government needs to communicate very clearly to victims. These are people who, in many instances, now live lives and daily routines of terror in these extraordinary and difficult times. What resources are in place? Staff working in these essential services need to know now that the funding and resources they require to meet the needs of these women, men and children are provided for. I am running out of time but there is a commitment, for example, for a plan for future refuge space on publication of a review of domestic violence accommodation provision. This needs to happen. This issue is routinely gets kicked down the road. It gets a lot of worthy rhetoric by times from Governments after Government and then it gets forgotten.

There are many other issues, including domestic homicide reviews that I wish to raise with the Taoiseach but, sadly, time does not permit this afternoon.

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