Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Quality of life is an important metric. During Covid, we saw a drastic increase in domestic abuse cases as lockdowns led to an increase in emotional, physical and sexual assaults, particularly against women. We had the shocking revelations about the 999 calls, as the Taoiseach knows, and there is a bit of work to be done on that yet. According to Safe Ireland, an average of 180 women and 275 children looked for emergency accommodation every month between March and December 2020. At the same time, 2,159 requests for refuge from vulnerable women and children could not be met by the services.

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