Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I welcome and support the Taoiseach's earlier comments on the need to work together to tackle violence against women and misogyny, in addition to the importance of men listening to women on this issue. I will ask about the lack of places for women and children seeking refuge from violence. While presenting to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice last November, Mary McDermott from Safe Ireland stated:

Ireland's domestic violence response infrastructure, and in particular its accommodation infrastructure, is critically deficient. These deficiencies place women and children at very real risk of grievous trauma, injury or fatality.

Between March and August 2020 alone, there were 1,351 unmet requests for refuge. It is completely and utterly unacceptable that women and children who need somewhere safe to stay have been turned away. Will funding be urgently provided to ensure there are enough refuge places for women and children seeking somewhere safe away from violence?

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