Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Dolan for sharing her time. Some powerful statements were made during this debate. Some contributions touched on the point that many counties do not have shelter or support services. I record my appreciation for the services provided in County Meath. Those services, like many others throughout the country, started in a voluntary capacity back in 1987 in Navan. Over the decades, countless women and families have been supported, and mainly voluntarily until the HSE and Meath County Council provided funding to support the services in recent times. I acknowledge what Deirdre Murphy and Sinead Smith have done in keeping those services going.

One aspect I will touch on are the other victims of domestic violence, namely, the children impacted by that violence. The support services provided must then get into the complex area of supporting those children. Imagine how scary it is to be brought to a women's refuge as a result of domestic violence in one's home. I refer to what the professional team there are trained to do to ensure that is not as scary an experience, in respect of the assessment and the report plan for children coming into a refuge. I also refer to the one-to-one interventions provided. There is a "Mammy and me" programme for mothers with children under four years old, as well as group programmes for children. I record my thanks for the work going on in my local refuge at Flower Hill in Navan and in those throughout the country.

On the issue of funding, and State support, which has been raised by several Senators, many people are also supporting these services in a private capacity. Every year, there are Christmas appeals. The impact of Covid-19, though, means that this year the normal hampers and other supports usually brought to women's refuges are not allowed. It is possible to support women's refuges online this year, however. I ask people to make themselves aware of that possibility and to support these refuges online where that is possible.