We have an epidemic of domestic violence. This morning, Women's Aid reports that last year it received its highest level of domestic abuse disclosures in its 50-year history. The figures cited in the organisation’s impact report are frightening, with more than 40,000 disclosures of abuse against women and children made in 2023. That is a jump of 18% on the previous year. Reports of physical abuse increased by 74% and economic abuse increased by 87%.

Emotional and sexual abuse and the scourge of coercive control are the lived experience of far too many women. The report details the horrific violence that women experience at the hands of partners or ex-partners: attacks with weapons; sexual assaults; threats against their lives and the lives of children; persistent surveillance; and the control of household and family finances. The consequences for women and children can be catastrophic - mental health crisis, exhaustion and burnout, poverty, homelessness and even miscarriage. The awful reality of women being beaten up, sexually assaulted, physically, mentally and emotionally manipulated and coercively controlled happens behind closed doors. It happens in the place where a woman should be safest, in her home. Some 266 women have died violently in Ireland since 1996. The majority were killed in their own home and of the resolved cases, half were killed by someone they knew. Behind every statistic is a real person and a real life. Domestic violence is not that far from any of us. It can be family, friends, a neighbour or a work colleague. It could be someone close who might be so overwhelmed by fear that they cannot speak up.

The findings of the Women’s Aid report demand that the Government respond with a level of urgency, pace and ambition to match the scale of the crisis we face. The third national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence must be fully resourced. The Ombudsman for Children must be granted funding to participate in the strategy. The establishment of the dedicated agency on domestic violence is welcome but it must be made fit for purpose and have the autonomy to address the crisis effectively. We need an all-of-society approach to combating domestic violence. We need positive societal change at every level.

As an immediate step, the Government must now solve the deficit in the provision of shelters.

The State has failed to meet its refuge provision obligations under the Istanbul Convention. Nine counties still have no shelters, meaning that women and children desperately seeking escape end up staying in or returning to violent and abusive homes.

Domestic abuse service providers have been underfunded for decades. Now is the time for strategy and investment to turn the tide to ensure that women and children fleeing domestic violence have access to refuge and the wraparound supports they need. Leagann tuarascáil Women’s Aid amach an méid foréigin teaghlaigh atá ann. Ní mór don Rialtas gníomhartha a thabhairt chun cinn chun aghaidh a thabhairt air seo go práinneach. Does the Taoiseach accept that the findings of the Women's Aid report highlight the need to ramp up the Government's response to domestic violence? Will the Government introduce an emergency action plan to deliver shelters in the nine counties where there is none currently?

I thank Deputy McDonald for raising this extraordinarily important issue. Before I answer her directly, may I acknowledge the fact that the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, has made the decision to step down as leader of the Green Party? Obviously, he has played a major leadership role in this coalition, and I want to acknowledge that. He is an honest, sincere, dedicated and decent politician. He is a person of substance and a person who has had a positive impact on Irish politics and I fully respect and understand his reasons. I just want to wish him well.

The answer to Deputy McDonald’s question is “Yes”. We absolutely want to continue doing more in this area. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, is leading the very significant whole-of-government – and, I hope and believe, whole-of-society – response that Deputy McDonald rightly called for in this regard. The Women’s Aid report makes for stark reading. The findings of the report are, quite frankly, appalling. There is no place in Irish society for violence against women or, indeed, violence against anyone. I want to reassure anyone who is a victim or is at risk of domestic or sexual abuse that help continues to be available. I urge anyone who is in fear or danger due to domestic abuse or any crime to please contact gardaí as soon as can be done safely. I will get into the specific issues. There are challenges and a need to do more, but I never want to accidentally put out a message that people cannot seek help in the here and now. If people are in danger right now, all of us in the House would urge them to seek the support of the Garda and others as soon as they can do so safely.

We have taken a number of steps aimed at protecting women against such abuse. We have shown that combating all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a priority. This has been reflected in a whole range of actions. For example, we saw the establishment earlier this year by the Minister, Deputy McEntee, of Cuan, our statutory domestic, sexual and gender-based violence agency. This is now tasked with co-ordinating and driving the full implementation of our zero-tolerance strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

The 2024 plan for the strategy has a number of very specific actions. It commits to exploring models for the delivery of domestic violence refuge accommodation and identifying opportunities to accelerate delivery to meet this target. I want to absolutely assure the Deputy and, more importantly, the women and people of Ireland that we are looking at how we can accelerate further delivery of refuge spaces, particularly in the areas where there is a deficit. The 2024 implementation plan sets out a number of deliverables on refuge spaces by the end of the year. Active planning and engagement are under way on the delivery of 150 additional family refuge units. There is the delivery of eight new family refuge units, ensuring that 25 additional family refuge units are now under construction as well. We are commencing the publication of quarterly reports on progress towards doubling the number of refuge spaces over the lifetime of the strategy, with an accessible tracking mechanism so that we can all collectively monitor the progress that we want to make. The development of the first 36 refuge units in Wexford, Dundalk and Navan is currently under way, with Wexford expected to be operational by September. In addition, 17 more safe homes were delivered last year and 13 more safe homes are expected to be delivered by the end of this year.

Of course, refuge space is a major issue that we are addressing through the strategy and the new agency but, in addition to that, there are also new laws. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, has introduced legislation that creates new stand-alone offences of non-fatal strangulation and stalking and has increased the maximum penalty for assault causing harm, one of the most commonly prosecuted domestic violence-related offences, from five years to ten years. We have also seen the highest level of funding provided to service providers working in this area.

We will not rest, I know the Deputy will not rest and I know the people of Ireland will not rest until we get to that zero-tolerance destination when it comes to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. That is something we can all be united on in this House. We are eager to work with anybody on any side of the House to make progress in this area.

I think we can all agree that the zero-tolerance culture and reality is one that we strive for across Irish society. However, it is important to acknowledge that we have very significant ground to make up and that for far, far too long, this issue did not have the kind of political priority or social priority that it so rightly deserves. The funding for services is inadequate. The Taoiseach cited an increase. I invite him, on this day when we hear of the highest level of reports to Women’s Aid in its 50-year history, to go back to the drawing board and to stress-test what is necessary for these incredible services that save lives, and save women and children, so they are properly and adequately resourced. He should check, see and talk to the sector, and he will find that that is not the case now. As we speak, Roscommon, Carlow, Cavan, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Monaghan, Offaly and Sligo have no refuge provision. That is the current position. I would like a commitment and a timeline from the Taoiseach as to when those nine counties will have refuge provision. Can he give us that date and timeline today?

First, I agree with the Deputy that this was not a social or a national priority in all aspects of life, including in politics, until those like the Minister, Deputy McEntee, prioritised the issue. We have now seen this become an absolute priority. We have taken very significant assignments of responsibility and decisions within Government to say the Minister, Deputy McEntee, now co-ordinates across all of Government in relation to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence because every Department has a role to play. I assure Deputy McDonald, as I know the sector would, that the level of engagement we have with the sector and with the service providers - the people the Deputy rightly identifies as those who are saving lives and doing incredible work - is intense, frequent and regular, as it should be. The level of funding to service providers has risen from about €20 million a year to about €59 million a year and I am committing on the floor of the Dáil that it will rise again.

With regard to refuge spaces, I will send a breakdown note to the Deputy on how we intend to address the issues. There is a plan to double the number of refuge places to 280. We have tasked Cuan specifically with publishing a quarterly tracking report in relation to how we are going to make progress on that for all to see.