Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are looking at everything and we have an opportunity essentially to start from scratch, but taking on board the fantastic work that has already been done by so many community and voluntary groups and organisations. Working with Tusla, we have an opportunity to look at the structure and system, see where it works and where it does not, how we can improve it, where we need to step in as a Government, how we do that, and how we ensure we have it done in a planned way so that, when we are developing new refuge accommodation, we have all the ancillary supports and resources people need and the spaces are fit for purpose. Many of the refuges are in old buildings that are not necessarily built for this purpose.

We have to look at how we can improve and expand on the existing refuge accommodation but also how we also start from scratch. A great deal of work has been done in many counties and areas by councils, community groups, local representatives and many others. We will link in with those people and groups through this interdepartmental group to see how we get this process moving again. I appreciate people want to know immediately what it is going to look like in each area, especially where there is no accommodation at the moment, and that will be made clear in a matter of weeks.

What is also important is that we will have funding allocated, not just for this year but beyond that. We need to ensure that funding because it is going to take a number of years to build this accommodation. The Tusla report set out three years for the initial 56 spaces, which we are now expanding to 82, with additional counties being covered. A great deal of work is in train and I reassure the Deputy that this is a priority.

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