Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

On average, eight women every day are turned away when they seek a space in a refuge. Meanwhile, demand for services has increased by up to 200% during the pandemic. I do not know if the Taoiseach saw RTÉ's "Prime Time Investigates" report last night, but it is harrowing what these women and children have to go through. The Social Democrats have consistently called for the number of refuge spaces to be increased to the level recommended by the Istanbul Convention. It is welcome that the Government has finally come to the realisation that there is a need to provide those spaces. We are wondering when exactly that increase in the number of spaces will be provided for women and children. It is an especially critical question for those nine counties that do not have a single space currently.

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