Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

These Council of Europe recommendations were made in 1998. It is 20 years on and we are still not reaching the targets. I have asked before and it seems very difficult to get answers as to how full these centres are. This information is very important to us to understand the demand that exists.

In responses I received recently to questions, I was told Cork as a whole has only five domestic violence refuge spaces. That is incredible. There are other counties such as Carlow, Cavan, Laois, Leitrim, Monaghan, Offaly and Roscommon where there are no places whatsoever. In these counties with no places, we are seeing mothers and children having to move to other counties to get services. That is not acceptable and I hope we look at this, going forward.

The Minister made a comment about the Rathmines centre that is due to be opened soon. My understanding is that this centre has been taken over by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive. Even though we have problem in homelessness, which I understand, it seems that we are taking from one to give to the other. Women who are fleeing domestic violence need specialist services.

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