148. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current number of domestic violence refuge spaces within the State; and the number he intends to have in place by the end of 2026. [6174/26]

Sentiment score: -0.01

In January 2022, the Minister’s predecessor committed to doubling the number of domestic violence refuge spaces in the State by the end of that year. I acknowledge that the doubling of available spaces is significant. However, the number in question is only half the number mandated by the Istanbul Convention on the prevention of violence against women and girls. That said, the Government commitment was to increase the spaces in 2022 from 141 to 282. Will the Minister outline again how many additional spaces have actually been delivered since 2022? Did he say 287 were supposed to have been delivered in 2022? How many will be delivered this year?

Sentiment score: -0.02

I thank the Minister for the number he just referred to: 232. We have not even increased the number to 282, which we were supposed to do in 2022. It is four years on from the Government’s announcement of zero tolerance of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Cavan and Monaghan remain without any refuge centres. As a member of Monaghan County Council from 2012, I was shouting about this, but we still do not have a centre. I realise the Minister has said it is not regarded as that important for perpetrators to leave their homes, but perpetrators are not leaving their homes. Therefore, where are affected women supposed to go? There is still no domestic refuge centre in Cavan or Monaghan. I know it is coming on board, but I have been listening to this for the past 12 years. When is it going to happen? It would be useful for the Minister to outline this. If he is going to events in Monaghan regarding a domestic abuse refuge, it would be good to let the TDs in the locality know about it. We are being kept in the dark and do not know when this domestic abuse refuge centre is coming on board. I was told at a meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts that there would be one in Cavan and one in Monaghan.

Sentiment score: -0.11