James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Stanley for raising the very important matter of domestic violence refuge accommodation in County Laois. It is the intention of the Minister for Justice that every person who needs a refuge space will have access to one. The Minister fully acknowledges the need for a significant increase in the provision of refuge spaces and she is committed to achieving this to ensure that victims have a safe place when they need it. In June, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, brought to Government the third national strategy to combat domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, Zero Tolerance.

The strategy has a particular focus on prevention and on ensuring victims are better supported. As part of this, it contains actions for nationwide delivery of refuge accommodation. As a start, the strategy commits to doubling the number of refuge places. This will be the fastest ever expansion of refuge spaces. We will also work to deliver additional safe house and step-down accommodation. We have identified 12 locations nationwide where the delivery of additional family refuge spaces would have the most impact, if prioritised. These priority areas, as the Deputy is aware, include Portlaoise, where eight family places are suggested as a potential refuge size requirement.

The Minister is informed by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, that a group involving local stakeholders, including the Laois Domestic Abuse Service, has been established to take forward plans to develop the proposed refuge and associated support services. Planning is not yet at the stage to identify the specific amount of either capital or revenue funding required. Furthermore, planning is not sufficiently advanced to identify the specific timelines for completion of the refuge, but Tusla and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage will be working with local stakeholders to support and ensure the process progresses as fast as possible.

As the Deputy can appreciate, due to the variations in sites, resources available and specific local features, the costs for each of the planned refuge developments will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Decisions on funding will be supported into the future by work being progressed nationally to develop principles for refuge design. Tusla will continue to engage with stakeholders to support the refuge development process in County Laois. The Minister informs me that in 2022, the Laois Domestic Abuse Service was allocated €281,440, with €79,000 in additional funding to strengthen its capacity for the provision of supports to women and to further develop services to children impacted by domestic violence and abuse. Additional resources such as project management support and other supports for capacity building will be available to the Laois Domestic Abuse Service and other organisations taking forward refuge developments in the 12 priority locations, as outlined in the third national strategy.

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