Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. She is very welcome to the House. Some 34,000 cases of domestic abuse were reported to Women's Aid last year. It truly is a shocking figure. I welcome the fact that Ireland is one of the first countries in Europe to provide paid work leave to victims of domestic abuse. I very much welcome that development. Statutory domestic violence leave will provide up to five days of fully paid absence annually to employees impacted by domestic violence. This legislation is a significant step and is part of the Government's zero tolerance strategy. However, unfortunately we all know that the availability of places for victims of domestic abuse is seriously deficient, particularly in my county of Monaghan and in County Cavan as well. As the population increases, so too, unfortunately, does the need for refuge places. I believe there is a need for one place per 10,000 people. I would hope to see definite progress on this issue in the new year and other accommodation options put in place in the meantime, such as safe houses in the community where people would be able to be housed within their own communities and among their own families and have all the supports they would need. It can be difficult for victims, especially if they are well known in their community but there is a responsibility on all organisations to step forward, whether they be public, private, sport, music or social organisations. We all need to step forward and educate our members. All of us, and particularly us men, need more information and more education on this.

Over the years, local organisations such as the Tearmann Domestic Abuse Service, under the stewardship of Siobhán McKenna and her team, have endeavoured to assist those suffering from domestic abuse in counties Cavan and Monaghan through the provision of support, information and awareness training. I salute them for the work they have done. They too have welcomed the Government's new zero tolerance strategy, especially as the service has witnessed an increase in numbers, particularly since the Covid pandemic.

Cavan and Monaghan are two of nine counties that have no refuge centres for those experiencing sexual and domestic violence. I understand that the new strategy plans to deliver 19 refuge units across counties Cavan, Monaghan, Roscommon and Leitrim. Unfortunately, by the time a site is secured, planning permission is secured and the property is built, it could be a number of years before all that happens. In the meantime, it is important that other options and more temporary options are explored, such as the purchase of houses in counties Cavan and Monaghan to accommodate those who are very much in need. I commend the officials in the housing sections of both Monaghan and Cavan county councils, who are actively exploring a site and are making progress in that regard.

Ultimately, we need to acquire a 24-hour refuge that offers safe accommodation and support for people suffering domestic, sexual and gender-based abuse. We must deliver a safe haven for those women, and their children if required, where they can recover, where they can be among their own communities and where they will have the proper supports. The quicker we get that refuge built, the better. I hope the Minister of State might have some good news for us on that this morning.

I will sign off, as I always do whenever I mention this subject, by appealing to anybody out there who is currently suffering from domestic abuse or violence to please come forward. There is good help there. Go ahead and make that phone call. Do not be suffering in silence.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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One of the overarching goals of the zero tolerance strategy to address domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is ensuring that everyone who needs a refuge space will get one. I am committed to working with my Government colleagues and those in the sector to achieve this. In line with the priority this Government is attaching to tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, we have committed to doubling the number of refuge spaces over the lifetime of the strategy, bringing it to 280 by the end of 2026. The Tusla review of accommodation services for victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence identified priority locations where between 50 and 60 new refuge places are needed.Further analysis undertaken identified 12 locations nationwide where the delivery of 78 family refuge spaces would have the most impact if prioritised. The initial areas identified in the Tusla review include Cavan-Monaghan, where eight family places are suggested as a starting point for prioritisation. An interagency group has been established to further this development and several meetings have taken place. It is difficult to place an exact timeline for the development of a refuge in the Cavan-Monaghan area at this stage as many factors can influence the speed at which a project is delivered, such as the identification of a suitable site or building, planning processes, tendering processes, the appointment of contractors and so on, as the Senator has laid out. However, Cavan-Monaghan is a priority area and every effort will be made to ensure the development of a refuge happens as speedily as possible.

Currently, the number of specialist domestic violence accommodation units or family spaces in the country is 199, including 150 refuge units and 49 safe home units. Each family place or unit can accommodate one woman and her children or other dependants. An additional 17 safe homes have come into operation since quarter 3 of 2022. We expect to have delivered up to 36 refuge units in Wexford, Dundalk and Navan by the end of 2024. In addition, by putting in place the correct structures to deliver additional refuge accommodation, including the development of a new statutory agency, we will accelerate the number of additional spaces that can be opened each year. Earlier this month, for example, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, unveiled an architectural blueprint on how to design safe spaces for survivors of domestic violence, which was developed as part of work on the zero tolerance strategy. The guidance on a design approach for future refuge development was shared with domestic violence organisations currently developing accommodation.

This work underpins our shared commitment to establishing a comprehensive and accessible network of refuges and to providing safety, support and healing for those affected by domestic abuse. Just last week the Minister brought the legislation to establish the new domestic, sexual and gender-based violence agency through the Houses and confirmed the work to ensure the agency will be up and running early in the new year remains on track. Once established, the agency will continue to assist with advancing the development of refuge places in all priority locations, including Cavan-Monaghan.

Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for her response. I am delighted this Government has prioritised the location of a refuge centre in either County Cavan or County Monaghan. It is imperative. I am heartened by the urgency this issue has been given, because it is vitally important that we have a refuge centre to protect these poor victims of domestic violence. The quicker that happens, the better. The same is true of the wraparound services we need to go with that for the women and their children. It must be a horrific experience for any woman to go through and unfortunately the numbers are consistently on the rise. I welcome this and look forward to it progressing in the near future. In the meantime, I will be having conversations with both local authorities to see if we could provide accommodation in the interim by purchasing a property in either county. That would alleviate the need for these people to travel to strange communities in order to start their recovery. I thank the Minister of State for her positive response.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by Tusla that a number of interagency meetings have been held since 2022 to explore how to progress the development of a refuge in Cavan-Monaghan. Some steps have been taken through engagement with two county councils to identify a suitable site. A site at Cootehill in the ownership of Cavan County Council has initially been proposed for consideration. The Tearmann Domestic Abuse Service, which is based in Monaghan and provides services in both counties, recently merged with Safe Ireland. This allows Safe Ireland to be the lead organisation taking forward the development of the refuge in Cavan-Monaghan through engagement with local stakeholders. Tusla acknowledges the initial need to dramatically increase the provision of refuge and that the key to this will be ensuring organisations are resourced and supported throughout the stages of managing refuge development projects. In the meantime, the closest refuge supports for women and children can be accessed in the neighbouring counties of Meath and Louth. I take on board what the Senator said about our taking people out of their communities where children perhaps want to continue going to education and stay knitted into their communities. It is a priority for the Department.