Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)

I pay tribute to Women's Aid on its 50th anniversary. I wish to read out the number for anyone that needs it: 1800 341900. We obviously wish there was no need for Women's Aid but there is, and its work is getting harder and more complex.

Some of the earlier speakers mentioned the normalising of domestic abuse, and we cannot allow that to happen. We have to speak clearly and with one voice and be unequivocal in saying domestic abuse and sexual and gender-based violence is not normal and should not be treated as such. I raise a case I have raised many times and for the avoidance of any doubt, I will continue to raise until there is a resolution. I wish to speak to the Minister about a woman I will call Janet. That is not her name but he will understand why I use it when I tell her story. In 2010, she joined the Dublin City Council housing list. She was eligible then, as she is today, for social housing. In 2015, she was viciously assaulted by her partner. He was sent to prison for a very long time but is now out. She went to live in north County Dublin where she felt safe and could raise her children in peace, and she remained on the Dublin City Council housing list. She is now in the range of being offered a house she has waited 15 years. She will get an offer but she cannot move back. She has a letter from An Garda Síochána stating for her own safety she should not move back to Dublin city. She is living in precarious private rented accommodation in north County Dublin. She is being treated as if this is a normal, average, run of the mill housing case, which it is not. When I say we should not normalise domestic abuse, I mean we have to go above and beyond and recognise that individual circumstances must be taken into consideration.

For that reason, I urge the Minister to consider the case and to do what he can in his office as Minister for justice to put some substance to the words we all say here, and his Government colleagues say them as well, about not normalising domestic abuse. For that reason, victims and survivors, and victims of the housing crisis as well of course, cannot be treated in isolation from their circumstances. I agree with the previous speaker about the role of men. Men must call out violence against women. Men are key players in ensuring women are safe - safe in their houses, on the streets, on public transport and in their workplaces, whether they work in a factory, an office, a hairdressers or indeed here in the Dáil or the Seanad. Men need to step up for the women they work with and alongside.

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