Lorraine Clifford-Lee (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the very important debate we are having. I specifically raise the issue of domestic and gender-based violence. We are at a record high of gender-based violence, with 20,000 more reports to gardaí in more than four years. It is good that people are coming forward and reporting to gardaí but it is clear there has been an increase in violence in the community.

Women and children are dying in their own homes at the hands of somebody known to them and whom they have been in an intimate relationship with. As the Minister rightly pointed out, there is a special aspect attached to gender-based violence - the relationship and the trust that the victim has placed on the perpetrator - that gives a different tint to this. People are being abused and traumatised. Children's lives are being destroyed within their homes. This needs to be seriously looked at by the Government. I know it is something the Minister has a personal commitment to. I am glad he mentioned Cuan, which the Minister, Deputy McEntee, established in her previous role and on which work is ongoing. While it is a very important development, I know from speaking to colleagues at all ends of the country that we do not have enough women's refuge spaces here in Dublin and across the country.

I have spoken to colleagues who have served in these Houses over the years. They have told me that a number of years ago, if a woman came to a clinic in a domestic violence situation, they would have been able to work with that woman to secure council accommodation and get her to safety within a couple of weeks. That does not happen anymore because of the housing crisis. Women are remaining in difficult and dangerous situations because of our housing crisis. That is completely unacceptable. Women are dying. Their children are dying or are being left without their mother, as in the case of Jennie Poole, which was mentioned by Senator O'Loughlin, whom I commend for her work on Jennie's law. We need to make it a matter of priority to progress that. If Jennifer Poole had known that her partner had a history of domestic violence, she would have never exposed herself or her children to that risk. She did not know because we do not have the adequate laws in place and we need to change that as a matter of priority. Those children are left without a mother and Jason and his family are left without a much-cherished sister and family member.

This is not acceptable in this day and age. We need to have a zero-tolerance approach to domestic violence. On that note, I commend Jarlath Burns, GAA president, on recently taking a strong leadership position in this regard. There can be no place in society for domestic abusers. We need to stand up and say it is not good enough. We need to call a spade a spade and not hide behind people who are held up as pillars of their communities. We need to call them out and say exactly what they are. I commend Jarlath Burns and I hope plenty more in similar positions will take a strong stance against domestic and gender-based violence.

Senator O'Loughlin also mentioned the lack of judges we have, particularly at District Court level. Many family law matters, such as custody access, guardianship and maintenance, are decided at District Court level. To have a situation where people are rushed through the court system because of a lack of judges is completely unacceptable and in many cases, this leads to an unsafe environment.

It will come as no surprise that I raise the issue of the new family court complex at Hammond Lane. It is a top priority of mine. It is something I have raised constantly since my election in 2016. I was glad to hear from the Minister, in a previous forum, that it is also a priority of his and something that will be progressed without any further delay during his tenure.

We need extra gardaí in north County Dublin. We have a booming population and we are absorbing the housing needs not only of Dublin but of the country. We do not have enough gardaí to deal with antisocial behaviour that arises. People are afraid because their calls go unanswered. They ring 999 and nobody comes. That needs to be recalibrated. It is not a direct issue the Minister can deal with but one for the Garda Commissioner. We need a policy which looks at populations. Areas of large population growth should be prioritised for the new gardaí who will hopefully be coming out of the Garda recruitment campaign that the Minister has well steered.

I will leave it at that. I thank the Minister and look forward to his response.