I welcome the Minister of State to the House. He is most welcome. I welcome Mary Charlotte Peacock and Tobias Zimmerman to the Seanad Chamber. They are most welcome. They are guests of Senator Duffy.

Cuirim fáilte roimh na haíonna. A few weeks ago, I wrote in The Journal about domestic abuse against men in Ireland and the urgent need to fund a fully staffed 24-hour helpline through Men's Aid. I did this very carefully knowing that it is a very sensitive space, and determined that raising the issue would not in any way take from the very real and disproportionate impact of domestic violence on women. What I did not fully anticipate was the response I would get. Since that article was published, I have been contacted privately by several men who have experienced and are still experiencing domestic abuse. Some are still in abusive relationships. Some have left. Some have custody of their children. All of them describe the exact same thing: silence, stigma and shame. Several told me that simply seeing the issue acknowledged publicly made a massive difference. One man said it was the first time he felt the experience he has suffered for years was being taken seriously. Another spoke about the help they have received from Men's Aid and how critical that support was at a moment when they felt completely isolated. That should make us stop and think.

We have made massive strides in how this country understands domestic abuse. We recognise coercive control. We understand that abuse is not just physical but psychological, financial and emotional. We have invested in services and supports for women who remain the majority of the victims, but we also have to recognise that some men are victims too, in opposite-sex and same-sex relationships. Domestic abuse is about power and control. It is not about physical size or stereotypes, yet for many men, the barrier to seeking help is not only about their fear of their partner, but fear of ridicule, disbelief or being assumed to be the aggressor. The stigma attached to a man admitting he is afraid in his own home remains really profound.

There is currently no fully funded 24-hour national helpline dedicated to male victims of domestic abuse. Men's Aid provides an essential service but it does not operate around the clock. Crisis, as we know, does not operate within office hours - currently Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The moment someone reaches for help is often late at night, when the house is quiet and courage briefly outweighs that humiliation. At the moment, that phone remains unanswered. I have been told by support organisations that when men flee abusive situations, even with their own children, they face additional systemic barriers. When presenting as homeless, they are sometimes asked why they would volunteer to leave their home and make themselves homeless. That question reflects a societal assumption that men simply cannot be victims in the same way. If someone leaves, it is because they are unsafe. Maybe their children are unsafe. They are not choosing homelessness; they are choosing survival.

This is not a request - and I must stress this - to divert funding from women's services. It is not about creating competition between these victims. Compassion is not a limited resource, and protection should not depend on your gender. It is about ensuring that our domestic violence framework is complete and total. I am asking the Minister of State to outline what consideration has been given by the Department to provide sustainable funding for a properly staffed 24-hour helpline for male victims of domestic abuse, or even funding that would support staff from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. What steps can be taken to ensure that men fleeing violence, particularly those with children, are recognised appropriately within our housing and emergency accommodation systems? Ending domestic abuse begins with breaking that isolation. When someone finally decides to seek help, it is our responsibility to make sure that someone is there. No victim should reach out in the dark and hear nothing back.

I thank the Senator for raising and putting a light on what is an important issue. The Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration is fully committed to supporting victims and survivors of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, DSGBV, irrespective of gender, and to ensuring that services in Ireland are accessible, effective and responsive to identified needs. The Government absolutely recognises that men and boys can be victims and survivors of domestic abuse. Through the delivery of the third national DSGBV strategy, with its overall aim of zero tolerance, we are working with partners across Government and within the sector to prevent all forms of DSGBV and to support anyone who is a victim of it. It is important to emphasise that Ireland’s domestic violence legislation is gender neutral, meaning both men and women are afforded the same protections under the law.

Under budget 2026, funding was increased to almost €80 million to support Cuan and other services working to tackle DSGBV and to support the implementation of the zero tolerance strategy.

This represents an increase of €12 million year on year. Through this funding, Cuan supports the delivery and development of 78 domestic and sexual violence organisations across Ireland, and a number of these provide specialist services specifically for male victims. Cuan funds the national male advice line, operated by the Men's Development Network, a service that operates seven days a week and provides confidential advice and support to male victims of domestic violence. Male victims can also access services provided by the Rape Crisis Centre and other specialist organisations, which offer free and confidential support to victim survivors of sexual abuse of all genders. The national rape crisis helpline operates 24 hours a day and is available to anyone affected by rape, sexual assault or other forms of sexual violence, regardless of gender. Currently, Cuan only provides funding for these helplines, as well as the national Women's Aid helpline. Men's Aid Ireland has not sought specific funding to make its national helpline, which operates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, available 24 hours a day.

It should be noted that action has been taken to develop accommodation supports for male victims, in partnership with organisations within the DSGBV sector. The Men's Development Network has partnered with Sonas Domestic Violence Charity to establish a referral pathway to safe home accommodation for male victims and provide wraparound supports where needed.

Importantly, Cuan is currently undertaking work to strengthen the evidence base around DSGBV in Ireland. This includes supporting the development of improved data collection on the prevalence of domestic violence affecting both men and women. This work will inform future service delivery planning and the development of a national DSGBV services development plan. Through these actions, the Government continues to work to ensure that supports remain accessible and responsive to all victims and survivors, regardless of gender.

I thank the Minister of State for that response and the continued investment I can see in supports for victims of domestic and gender-based violence. These services are vital and must continue to be properly resourced.

Gender-neutral services are admirable, but there is a service gap in the framework. Cuan is operating a seven-days-a-week helpline, although it is not for 24 hours a day. I seek that funding be made available for that and, in particular, Men's Aid. Quite often, a man will not contact a service that he feels is either gender neutral or specifically for women. Services are weighted heavily towards women. As I said, they are very vital and neutral and we do not want to take any kind of funding away from the women-specific helplines or services, so there is still a need for a specific helpline for men, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I will relay to Men's Aid that if there are funding sources available, it needs to be tapping into every single one.

That is a very important point to relay to Men’s Aid. I will obviously convey the Senator’s remarks to the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, who I know has done significant work in this area since becoming Minister. It is very important to have the recognition that the services provided are gender neutral, but I fully take on board the Senator’s comments that there is that problem area of men maybe not wanting to engage with services that they perceive as being particularly in one area, an area that for various reasons we do not need to go into today make them feel uncomfortable about engaging with the services. Therefore, the development that Cuan wants to have to ensure that wraparound services are available for male victims as well is very important.

I thank the Minister of State. Before we go on to the next Commencement matter, I welcome the guests of Deputy Ardagh, the children from School Eoin in Crumlin.