I have raised the consolidation and reform of domestic violence legislation several times with the Taoiseach and his colleagues. In 2011, four out of five victims of domestic violence were turned away from crisis refuges because the refuges were full. Can the Taoiseach tell us when the legislation might come forward?

On the Magdalen report, once again I thank Senator McAleese for his report, which is 1,000 pages long and very comprehensive. I think of the 10,000 residents. They know their stories, they have told their stories and their stories have been believed. Many of them lived with an undeserved stigma that was of great disservice to the experience of these women. That stigma has been removed by the report, which was long overdue. As I said to all of those women, I am sorry the State did not act sooner and that this investigation could have been carried out many years ago. I regret in particular that many who suffered have not lived to see this day, when such a report is published, removing that stigma and letting the true facts finally emerge. As the report is comprehensive and contains much new information, I expect we can discuss with the Whips how long should be allocated to the topic and what date in two weeks it should take place. It is a comprehensive report that deserves deep reflection and consideration. We will see it gets that.

What about legislation on domestic violence?

The Department wrote to the Deputy on 5 December that it would be progressed as soon as possible, taking into account consultation and the need to dispose of a number of urgent Bills in the Department, including the EU-IMF programme of financial support for the State. Cosc, the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, is in discussions with the Department's civil law reform division. I will send the Deputy an update on those discussions.