Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his interest in this very important issue. As he has mentioned, one of the overarching goals of the Zero Tolerance strategy is to ensure that everyone across the country who needs a refuge space will have access to one. Our commitment to double what we currently have represents the fastest ever expansion of refuge accommodation in this country.

Earlier this month, I was delighted to be joined by my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, to launch a new 12-unit refuge in Wexford. This is the first of 18 priority locations to complete construction. Just last week, €7.3 million in funding was provided to progress the building of new refuge units in Kerry under the capital assistance scheme. The opening of the new units in Wexford means there are 162 domestic violence units across the country, with four more expected to come on line in Louth before the end of the year and construction of a further 12 units in Kilcross in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown also beginning before the end of this year.

Having visited many refuges around the country and having seen some of the older refuges, smaller ones and larger ones and the services that are being provided, I am very mindful that the provision of a refuge is not just the provision of a roof over somebody's head or a bed to sleep in. That is extremely important. It is a safe space, a haven and somewhere for people to rest, to seek assistance and to get the support and help they need, including help to plan their lives. They are also for their children where they have also been victims in the overall scenario. That means we need to design not just bricks and mortar, but also services and ancillary supports. To that end, we have accelerated the delivery of additional refuge accommodation and have also considered the design of the type of accommodation that is needed, working very closely with those who are already providing services, with victims and with our colleagues in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Housing Agency.

Cuan, which has now been established, has a number of roles but one of its main roles is to accelerate the delivery of additional refuge accommodation year on year and it is doing just that. At present, 82 units are undergoing funding approval through the capital assistance scheme with a further ten proposals under review by colleagues in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Another 19 units have been identified as potential development opportunities. Every few weeks or months, new sites are coming on stream that can be repurposed without requiring a new build. Given the number of projects in the pipeline, we are on course to deliver the very ambitious but very necessary target of doubling the number of refuge spaces.

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