Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Once again I raise the non-provision of a refuge in Cavan-Monaghan for victims of domestic violence. I have raised this issue through parliamentary questions and in other Dáil debates over recent years and, unfortunately, little or no progress has been made in that respect. Women who are victims of domestic violence from the wide geographical area of Cavan-Monaghan have to source emergency specialist accommodation in other areas.

Some of them look for help in the neighbouring counties of Louth and Meath, where the centres are already under huge pressure. Women in north-west Cavan have to seek out accommodation or specialist support from services in County Sligo. Similarly, in our neighbouring county of Monaghan, people must look to the services in counties Louth or Meath for help. That is not acceptable.

Like Deputy Troy, I acknowledge the great work done by the many voluntary organisations. They do receive some support from Government, through several Departments, but they depend very heavily on fundraising. Tearmann Domestic Violence Services in County Monaghan provides a range of community-based services for victims of domestic violence, including emotional and practical support, advocacy and accompaniment and support in court. It also provides an outreach service in Cavan town. I commend the people who founded that service and who work there, as well as the people who support its necessary fundraising efforts.

In line with requirements under the Istanbul Convention and commitments made under the second national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, there is a need to expand the region of distribution of services, including accommodation services. I have had correspondence from Tusla, following parliamentary questions to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, which clearly outlines its concerns about the unevenness in the availability of specialist emergency domestic violence accommodation across the country. There are nine counties, including Cavan and Monaghan, which I represent, which do not have a specialist service. I welcome that Tusla has had some contact with stakeholders in the Cavan-Monaghan area to explore potential options for taking forward the provision of emergency accommodation in the area. I appeal to the Minister of State, through his Department and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, to ensure adequate funding is provided to Tusla so that practical progress can be made. We need to see centres being identified and established and the necessary support staff put in place. Nationally, Tusla is undertaking a domestic violence provision review. I hope that review will result in safe accommodation and services for people affected by domestic violence where there is currently a total lacuna in terms of provision.

Unfortunately, in the last correspondence I had from it, Tusla indicated that funding will not be available for significant service developments in 2020. However, the agency will, I was told, continue to plan towards and resource future developments in line with commissioning priorities. I have heard that type of promise before. I ask the Minister of State to consider the huge geographical area encompassed by the borders of the counties of Cavan and Monaghan, which stretches practically from the west to the east coast, without a service in any part of either county. As I outlined, we are depending on services in neighbouring counties which are under pressure as they are. I urge the Minister of State to ensure that areas like Cavan and Monaghan are prioritised when future services are being developed.

My colleague, Deputy Browne, noted that one in four women in Ireland experiences physical and sexual violence from an intimate partner and that, over the past 32 years, 126 women were killed by a current or former partner. Those statistics are startling, frightening and woeful. It is dreadful to consider that so much violence has been inflicted on women over the course of years. Unfortunately, that violence continues today and it is totally reprehensible. Thousands of women and children are being turned away from refuge centres due to a lack of space and a shortage of professional support services. It is an area that must be prioritised for investment. To reiterate, there are nine counties with no refuge places and the situation is made worse by the housing crisis that prevails.

Other speakers referred to the bravery demonstrated by women who have spoken out about their experiences. It must be a harrowing experience in itself to go public in that way and we owe them a debt of gratitude. One way to show that gratitude would be to ensure that adequate services are provided and that people who are suffering through domestic violence have resort to accommodation and support services when they need them. I am being parochial in appealing to the Minister of State to examine the situation in the two counties I represent. I am anxious that we make progress in providing necessary services and accommodation there and throughout the State.

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