Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There are elements in housing and justice. I would particularly like to raise one area with the Department of Justice and Equality. By and large, it seems that in the current system the victims of violence and sometimes the children - it can be a male as well as a female victim - are the ones who must leave home while the alleged perpetrator, at that stage, stays in the home. I do not know whether something can be done in justice legislation - I am straying outside my area of responsibility here - that would alter the balance in some way. That situation has been raised with my by people who work in the area of domestic violence.

With regard to Senator Mooney's question, the situation is difficult. We cannot provide long-term social housing as a default position if we do not know whether there is a long-term housing need. We can provide short-term housing and review the provision. However, we must have a mechanism to assess whether a long-term need exists. Sometimes these situations are fluid and, therefore, we do not know if there is a long-term need. That is why we are doing what we are doing here. It will address the immediate need and we will keep it under review.

To answer the Senator's question directly, there is an element of housing legislation and an element of justice legislation involved in this issue.