Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. It is disappointing the Minister for Justice is not here, as we could have had a more substantive engagement. I reiterate that Cavan and Monaghan are only being considered for one refuge and ask that the Minister considers two refuges, one for each county. Why are we being treated unfairly in those counties?

As well as enduring emotional, psychological and physical abuse, all too often the victims of domestic abuse bear the additional burden of their lives being torn asunder, in particular regarding being effectively put out of their family home. This can compound suffering, further upend lives, and penalise victims for having been abused, especially in situations where a victim of domestic abuse is the primary childcare provider. It is morally unacceptable that a woman can be forced into homelessness for having been abused by her partner, but that is what is happening. Cases have been highlighted in national media where women have been forced to stay in refuges for more than a year, have fallen afoul of already insufficient protections for renters or have little recourse due to fear of the potential consequences of seeking a barring order. Would the Minister be willing to examine this with a view to introducing legislative changes, if necessary, to ensure that the victims of domestic abuse do not see their homes taken away from them and their children at a time they are at their most vulnerable?

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