I welcome the progress announced last week by Cuan, through the justice committee, on the long-awaited domestic violence refuge in Laois, something that has been needed for too long. We heard this week of another deeply disturbing case in Waterford. Another woman was harmed. Another family was devastated. It was a stark reminder that this crisis is not going away. The numbers speak for themselves. Over 65,000 calls relating to domestic violence were made last year to An Garda Síochána. In my county of Laois and within the Laois-Offaly Garda division, over 1,600 domestic abuse incidents were recorded last year, with 393 cases already reported in the early part of this year. The statistics do not even tell the full story. Those are only the cases reported.

We are now living in a world where women are living in fear, children are witnessing trauma and lives are being destroyed behind closed doors. Some may never get the chance to report, and that is why I am asking this House how many more women must suffer before we act with urgency. We need to take action now. We need proper, consistent training for gardaí. We need education in our schools on respect and healthy relationships. We need far more investment in front-line and refuge services in a timely manner. Prevention is just as important now as the response. This is part of the wider crisis of gender-based and sexual violence in Ireland.

I welcome the free travel scheme for survivors, which was announced this week. We need clarity on how many are going to be covered and whether it will also include survivors of sexual abuse. I call for an urgent debate in this House on domestic violence. Silence is no longer acceptable. Delays are no longer acceptable. We need to ensure we do all we can across these Houses to prevent it.