James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue around the need to provide refuge centres in Cavan and Monaghan for victims of domestic abuse. As the Deputy rightly pointed out, it is one of the areas that does not have those supports in place at the moment. The Deputy has raised this matter consistently with both myself and the Department of Justice and I am glad to have an opportunity to give him an update on what he has been campaigning for for a very long time.

Last June, the Government launched Zero Tolerance, our third national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. One of the overarching goals is to ensure that everyone who needs a refuge space will get one. Over the lifetime of the strategy we intend to double the number of refuge spaces, bringing it to 280. Tusla reviewed the accommodation services for victims of DSGBV and identified priority locations where between 50 and 60 new refuge places are needed. Further analysis identified 12 locations nationwide where the delivery of 98 family refuge spaces would have the most impact if prioritised.

The Tusla review identified a requirement for eight family places in Cavan-Monaghan for prioritisation. A group of stakeholders has met a number of times in 2023 with a view to beginning plans to establish the refuge in Cavan-Monaghan. Key statutory bodies, including Tusla, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Justice, Cavan and Monaghan county councils and An Garda Síochána have been engaged in these meetings, along with the local domestic violence organisation Tearmann and Safe Ireland. The current focus is, as the Deputy rightly pointed out, on identifying a site and initiating a more formalised project. The nature of refuge developments, as capital projects, means that timelines for capital projects apply. At this early stage, many factors can influence the speed at which a project is delivered, such as the identification of a suitable site or building, planning processes, tendering processes and the appointment of contractors. However, as an identified priority area, every effort is being made to ensure supports are put in place to achieve delivery of the refuge and support services in Cavan-Monaghan as quickly as possible. The Deputy will be aware of the intention to establish a new domestic violence agency at the start of 2023 to complement the delivery of services.

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