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

As the Taoiseach is aware, responsibilities for domestic violence supports and services are spread across multiple Departments and State agencies. Safe Ireland has called for the urgent roll-out of a funded national service development plan as the start of a comprehensive and long-term response to the enormous everyday problem of domestic violence. Domestic and gender-based violence services are to be commended for developing a structure within which they work together to share experience and develop policy, but it is clear that the disjointed provision of these services is failing victims and their children. I previously raised with the Taoiseach the issue of the lack of refuge places.

I have called for a Government strategy to deliver additional refuge places with trauma-informed wrap-around supports and services. Ireland is currently failing to meet its legal obligations under the Istanbul Convention regarding the provision of domestic violence refuge places, and no additional funding has been providing in next year's budget to remedy the situation. Worse still, the Minister has confirmed that no single Department or agency is responsible for ensuring Ireland meets its legal obligations in this regard. It is my strong view that this perennial challenge to front-line service provision will not be addressed until such time as the Government commits to a national service development plan, as called for by Safe Ireland. Implementation of this plan should be overseen by the Department of An Taoiseach, working with the coalition partners to ensure there is a cohesive and comprehensive policy and service delivery response for victims and their children.

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