Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I want to focus my speaking time on the high levels of demand on refuge centres such as Clare Haven Services in County Clare. In June alone, it received 54 requests for refuge for women and for every single woman and family in refuge, there is another at risk in the community pleading to gain access. Currently, the service can only accommodate six families at any one time and the point and the purpose of their services is to provide, as the service itself has pointed out, short-term crisis refuge.

As I heard that the recommendations specified capacity for eight families, there is a shortfall already there. That is having a knock-on effect. Clare Haven Services received €60,000 in funding and I have been trying to ascertain, through the parliamentary question system, where that funding will go as I am aware that there are childcare funding requirements. Maybe that funding is not from them but is from Tusla. In the past number of months, I have asked those questions and I may get a response but it does not actually have the information in the response. The only commitments I have so far is that there are no safe homes in Clare, which is a dismal prospect. It did not address whether there were plans to remedy that, which is what I am trying to find out, or whether there will be any further funding of this amazing organisation, Clare Haven Services, and the work it does. It is a great disappointment in a year where we know that there have been more than 40,000 calls placed with Women's Aid and nearly 60,000 logged in the Garda PULSE system.

I raised a particular case with the Taoiseach during Questions on Promised Legislation last week. The person had been assisted in obtaining a safety order but in total, she had only been given 22 days in the refuge centre because of demands and capacity issues. She got that extended to over the weekend, which was great, but that was a great hassle for the refuge centre because it does not know how many people will want to come in to the refuge over the weekend period.

She had to find accommodation herself in the end through as much as help as she could possibly get. The issue was that the local authority was not able to help.

The joint policing committees mentioned there was a need for local authority staff to have coercive control training. I am hoping that might be included in the plans going forward.

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