Martin Ferris (Kerry, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Much of the Minister of State's reply is part of the review I have with me. It is important to note the services that the centre provided. They included counselling in situations of crisis pregnancy. We have just spent days and weeks debating the Bill on abortion here. The centre also supported women affected by domestic and gender-based violence, which is increasing in many areas, as well as migrant and refugee women. We have a sizeable number of migrants and people seeking refugee status in Tralee. The Minister of State said that the board of the centre carried out a review and as a consequence of that the centre has closed down. I dispute that.

I do not believe for one minute the suggestion that the board voluntarily decided to cease functioning. I would like to know if the closure related to funding. It is not easy to get answers. I put questions to the Minister in regard to the funding that was provided through the Tralee Women's Resource Centre and where that funding has now been redirected. The Minister of State stated that a group of concerned women may be willing to reconstitute the organisation with a view to reopening the centre as soon as possible. I do not think that this decision was one taken by the board after a review. I am certain that if a board is told funding is going to dry up, that may well be the reason behind the closure. It is such a small amount of funding for such a tremendous service.

It is a service to people in situations of crisis pregnancy, gender-based violence and domestic violence as well migrants and refugee women in a town that is growing. There are more than 20,000 people now in Tralee. It has been said that the centre was no longer relevant because not enough people were using it. I dispute that. There were 2,500 people who used the centre in the last year. That is a significant number of women and many of them are victims of the issues to which both the Deputy and I have referred. I want to know where that money is going and whether it is being redirected. Was that funding withdrawn? Is that funding still available if a new Tralee resource centre was set up?

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