Ms Réidín Dunne:

In relation to women seeking refuge, we have a very risk-averse view of women who are involved in substance use and their ability to seek refuge. We facilitate a domestic violence service called DAVINA, which looks at that intersectionality of women who use substances and are also survivors of domestic violence. We know that women who use substances are more likely to be involved in a domestically violent relationship, yet they are absent from the strategy. We have named migrant women and Traveller women. We have not explicitly named women in addiction as a vulnerable cohort.

Our ability for women to seek refuge, should they choose to do so, has been very limited because of their addiction. While I understand that there are risks, safety planning and so on in addiction services, addiction seems to be the absolute deterrent for a women seeking refuge. It is our view that is completely contrary to her human right to seek refuge.

In the past three years since DAVINA has been involved, we have managed to get three women into refuge. That was done with very creative narratives in seeking and advocating for those women. It is an issue we have to discuss. While our own consciousness and ability to speak about domestic violence is absolutely raised, we have to look at the "worthy victim" within that. Sometimes, our women - the woman who is involved in substance use - does not have access to her victimhood. She is seen as an unprotective parent in the social work space and she is seen as a problem and a risk in the domestic violence space.