Refuge crisis for domestic violence victims deepens

Damian McCarney

The refuge centre which provides emergency accommodation for the victims of domestic violence from counties Cavan, Monaghan and Louth will be forced to close its doors this summer due to a massive shortfall in funding.

A national directive means a maximum of €20,000 will be allocated to the Women’s Aid Dundalk refuge this year – down 75% on the level of funding from 2012.

In a statement, management said they were left with no alternative but to close from June 27, 2014.
“We have been in negotiations with Louth Local Authority since March 2013 in relation to the initial proposed 66% reduction in Section 10 funding to our service. Despite our best efforts, we were informed on the 26th of March 2014, that due to a national directive, a maximum of €20,000 will be allocated to Women’s Aid Dundalk for the provision of the refuge in 2014.
€20,000 represents a 75% reduction in 2012 funding and is not sufficient to operate the refuge. This decimation of funding has left us with no alternative but to close.

'??It is our firm belief that the refuge continues to be a necessary response to women and children experiencing domestic violence.
We could not accommodate 293 requests for refuge in 2013. The Louth, Cavan and Monaghan region is currently operating 38% below the Council of Europe’s recommended level of refuge provision. Our closure will increase this to 57% below the recommended level of refuge provision,??” said a spokesperson.

As initially revealed by The Anglo-Celt newspaper, the lack of refuge in County Cavan currently sees two out of every three victims who report domestic violence being informed that they have no accommodation. Victims from the West of County Cavan, who are lucky enough to avail of accommodation will be housed in County Sligo, while those for the rest of the county, their primary option was Women's Aid refuge in Dundalk. 

'Easy target'

Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy has said that he is “appalled” at the imminent closure.

“I am absolutely appalled at the idea that Dundalk women’s refuge is being forced to close due to government cuts.
“This will not only place the women of Dundalk and wider Co Louth at risk but will also impact on women in Cavan and Monaghan as neither county has the adequate level of services for women in crisis situations.

“It is absolutely disgraceful that this has been allowed to happen and is a direct result, I believe, of the policies of this Fine Gael-led government which considers services for the most vulnerable an easy target.
“This may be little more than numbers on a page to our government representatives, but behind those numbers are women and children in very often extreme danger.
“This cut will put women and children in direct risk.
“Sinn Féin councillors in the Dundalk area are working to ensure that a special sitting of Louth County Council is convened to deal specifically with this issue. I believe this needs to happen as a priority but I would also appeal to the government to step in and ensure that this vital, life-saving service is not lost.”