Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There were 19,344 domestic abuse incident reports in the period from 12 March 2019 to 3 November 2019. This year, from 12 March to 3 November 2020, there was a total of 22,540 reported incidents. That is an increase of more than 3,000 cases. There have been 217 prosecutions for domestic violence during the pandemic. It is vital that the Government does everything in its power to address the matter. It is welcome that a number of initiatives have been undertaken, both by the Government and An Garda Síochána, in recent weeks. Operation Faoiseamh in particular ensures that gardaí on the ground are working to address the issue. The Garda has made more than 15,300 contacts or attempted contacts to victims of domestic abuse as part of this operation. While much is being done to ensure that people are aware of the supports that are available, it is, unfortunately, the case that there are gaps, which need to be addressed. One of those gaps is the access to refuge places. I understand that the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is also involved in this area. The issue must be addressed. Could the Minister provide an update on when we can expect to see action to improve the provision of places?

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