Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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726. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the way in which barring and exclusion orders are communicated to housing authorities, and whether protocols exist to ensure victims are not further disadvantaged in accessing or retaining housing. [52034/25]

Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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727. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if the Courts Service has a duty to notify local authorities when a barring order is issued in respect of a joint tenancy. [52035/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 726 and 727 together.

It is important to note that, given the sensitive nature of the information involved, domestic violence applications are heard "otherwise than in public" in accordance with section 23 of the Domestic Violence Act 2018.

Given the sensitive nature of the information involved, section 19 of the Act sets out the persons on whom copies of safety, protection or barring orders made under the Act shall be served: they are the applicant for the order; the respondent; Tusla (in relevant cases) and, importantly, the member of the Garda Síochána in charge of the station for the area in which the person resides.

The Act makes no provision for Housing Authorities to be notified.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the housing authorities, are responsible for matters relating to acceding and retaining housing in general terms. It is important to note, however, that the Government 's Zero Tolerance Strategy includes a range of actions and investments designed to support and safeguard victims of domestic violence including expanding refuge accommodation and delivering a comprehensive national emergency domestic violence accommodation plan.