Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to speak about the Safe Ireland report published yesterday. I am conscious it was mentioned earlier. The research is traumatic. It is deeply upsetting to see how many people are suffering from domestic violence. The number of women and children who contacted services for the very first time during the first six months of the Covid pandemic is eye watering. Some 3,450 women and 589 children contacted domestic violence services for the very first time. That is the equivalent of 19 women and three children every day, or about 25% of the total number of women and children who contact domestic violence services.

While there is no doubt that we are living in the middle of a Covid pandemic, there is also a pandemic in respect of domestic violence. It is incumbent on every one of us to fight for women and men who suffer from domestic violence, in particular given that there are more women than ever in the Seanad. We need to stand firm and strong with our peers who are undergoing domestic violence.

There are 158 shelter spaces available for women who are victims of domestic violence in this country. There was a commitment in the programme for Government that there would be an increase in the number of places, but it is of paramount importance that extra work is done to provide resources for victims who need to use domestic refuge centres. I want to pay particular tribute to Teach Tearmainn in Kildare which does incredible work. We also need to work with local authorities to ensure victims have the opportunity to have permanent housing.