Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Women's Aid has recorded its highest number of contacts in the organisation's 50-year history, with just under 34,000 disclosures of domestic violence against women and children. The abuse reported is horrific, broad and brutal. Domestic violence services are creaking at the seams. I am particularly mindful of the 12 women who died violently this year, and their families.

Last week I visited the Saoirse refuge in Rathcoole which, like others, faces the intolerable situation of turning women and children away because of a lack of space. Yet there is still no dedicated capital budget line in any Department to ramp up delivery of additional safe accommodation stock. Less than €2 million was provided this year to the new domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services and supports. We are now a year into the third strategy, and there is no vehicle for implementation of its ambition and purpose. The investment needed has simply not been provided by the Government. Will this be addressed in budget 2024?

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