Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I was pleased to read the implementation report in respect of 2023, which said that the number of safe homes, as it referred to them, had doubled in 2023 with 17 additional safe homes coming on stream, bringing the total number to 49 by the end of the year. I am also pleased to hear that the Minister expects we will be able to achieve the objective of the strategy, which is to double the number of spaces within the period of the implementation plan. I will mention something important, of which the Minister will be well aware. I was a bit disturbed to read the Women's Aid annual impact report, which said that there were 28,500 contacts with front-line domestic violence services in 2023 and 40,000 disclosures of abuse against women and children, representing an increase of 6,000 since 2022. Obviously, not everyone reports incidents of domestic violence. I know the Minister appreciates that it is a very serious problem in our society. However, the plan and the strategy are working. What we really need to do is to continue with the implementation. I ask the Minister to keep ensuring we can double the number of refuge spaces, as we committed to.

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