Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Regarding the figures for Operation Faoiseamh, which began at the start of the pandemic, An Garda Síochána and the Government have put a major focus on this area. An Garda Síochána received approximately 43,500 calls to respond to domestic abuse incidents in 2020, which was an increase of 17%. More than 4,000 criminal charges were created in 2020 for breaches of orders under the Domestic Violence Act 2018, which is an increase of 24%. The Garda received approximately 10,000 calls to respond to domestic abuse incidents in the first quarter of this year, an increase of 7%, and more than 1,000 criminal charges were created in the first quarter of this year for breaches of orders under the Domestic Violence Act 2018. The increase in reported incidents during the restrictions, together with the proactive approach taken by An Garda Síochána, has resulted in more files being referred to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, for prosecution. This demonstrates that Operation Faoiseamh is working and it reinforces the message that perpetrators cannot act with impunity.

Regarding the audit, I expect it to come before me very shortly and I will be discussing the report with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman. I completely comprehend the urgency regarding this matter and it is a priority for the Department.

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