Minister must wake up to the need for refuge for domestic violence victims - Smyth

A local TD has said that the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has to urgently review the need for a women’s refuge to serve the needs of women across the two counties. It comes as new Department figures show that more than 250 women availed of support services in the two counties in 2015.

Highlighting that at the present time there remains no refuge for victims of domestic abuse in Cavan and Monaghan, who are instead referred to services in Navan, Dundalk or Drogheda, Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan Niamh Smyth said that such access is “well below” what is needed.

“Access to refuge services in the North East are well below what is needed but the Government is continuing to turn a blind eye to the situation. The fact that there is no women’s refuge in either Cavan or Monaghan is a damning indictment of the Government’s failure to act to address the issue of violence against women,” Deputy Smyth told The Anglo-Celt.
The latest figures from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs reveal that 251 women in Cavan and Monaghan accessed services at the Tearmann Domestic Violence service, which covers the two counties, in 2015.

However, these women must then travel to either Navan, Dundalk or Drogheda if they manage to secure a place in a refuge. “This is completely impractical in cases where there are children involved as they would usually be attending school in their own home town,” says Deputy Smyth.
In a reply to a Parliamentary Question from Deputy Smyth, Minister Katherine Zappone confirmed that child and family agency Tusla has “no immediate plans” to develop additional refuges in the North East.

“This is deeply disappointing, especially considering the fact that the number of refuge places available in Ireland is well below the EU average,” Deputy Smyth commented. “Minister Zappone has indicated that funding for domestic, sexual and gender based services will increase this year – I am calling on her to seriously examine the need for a refuge for Cavan and Monaghan and to provide the necessary services to women living in these two counties.”