Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (Resumed)
Seanad Éireann — 2026-04-28
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Dara Calleary (FF), Mayo

I reiterate my thanks to Senators Stephenson, Rabbitte and O'Loughlin, the Civil Engagement Group and all the Senators who spoke that night because it really brought this issue home to me. We have outlined the details of the protocol. The payments will be administered by community welfare officers in my Department, who are available online as well. I emphasise that people do not have to make physical contact with them. It can be done online.
We have gone through the levels of payment and the additional costs. To touch on Senator Stephenson's point, there are other forms of financial assistance available through additional needs payments to assist with essential expenses such as rent deposits, rent in advance and household bills that cannot be paid from weekly income at a particular time. They are means-tested but the service is there to provide assistance.
As I have said, we have so much more work to do in this space and all of us need to talk about the supports that are available, grow those supports and ensure people know that support is there when they make that incredibly courageous decision - that the support and back-up is there. I thank Cuan, Safe Ireland, Women's Aid and the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre for working with us on this, but I am very conscious that this is only a small step and we have a lot more to do.
I thank the Upper House. This is probably the kind of forum where this can get done, more so than in the Dáil, frankly, because of the shared commitment of everybody here to this.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-04-28/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:52+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-28