Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said more will be done to tackle those fleeing domestic violence as just 17 counties in the Republic of Ireland have refuge centres.
It comes as calls to domestic violence charities have remained consistently high throughout 2021.
The Taoiseach has pledged to provide more funding to help victims, but said that the Government “also need to do more than that”.
He would like to see a reform in how centres are established, as it is currently “from the ground up” and needs to be “more centrally co-ordinated and more strongly co-ordinated”.
“I'd like the system to be simpler in terms of the procurement of funding to build centres,” he told Morning Ireland on RTE Radio One today.
“I just would like a very straightforward, simple way of identifying a need, having requisite governance to oversee centres and so on and then we’re getting on with designing and building good quality centres.”
A range of other supports for families in domestic violence situations is also on the Taoiseach’s list of must-need services.
An increase in centres around the country is required, as nine of the 26 counties currently have none at all.
Government ministers are currently working on a plan to provide more centres, the Taoiseach confirmed.
“An agreement has been reached in terms of how this will get structured to make sure it gets delivered with timelines and clear commitments fulfilled and realised,” he said.
"I can understand the cynicism and scepticism - this will be done. The death of Ashling Murphy has shocked the nation. All parties in the Dáil are willing to work together on this and create a cross-party mechanism."
