Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There has been a long-standing issue regarding the lack of domestic violence refuges in counties Cavan and Monaghan. In its submission to the justice committee on refuges in August 2021, Safe Ireland, the national policy service support and development hub for 39 specialist domestic violence services, many of which provide refuge, highlighted that there were nine counties without refuge accommodation. Almost three years later, the Sinn Féin leader, Deputy Mary Lou McDonald, highlighted that nine counties still lack refuges. She did so in the context of a report from Women’s Aid which showed the highest levels of domestic violence disclosures to its organisation across its 50-year history.

I welcome that Monaghan and Cavan were identified as a priority for the development of services. Let us be real, however. The fact that these services are badly needed in a community of nearly 150,000 people hardly necessitated the years of analysis, especially in the context whereby half of the existing refuges in the State were already full. I welcome the Government's intention to support the opening of a refuge in the Cavan-Monaghan region. Given the dire need for such crucial services across the State, however, does the Minister of State not agree that it would be prudent that refuge spaces be provided in both counties? A journey between, for example, Dowra in west Cavan and Castleblayney in east Monaghan would take the best part of two hours by car. The journey would take the best part of a day if a person were to use public transport.

The Minister for Justice's predecessor set a target of delivering 280 spaces across the State by 2026. This is far shy of the more than 500 places recommended by the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence. Our State has a long history of failing women and children. Much work remains to be done in order to ensure that all women and children in our society are unafraid, without anxiety and free to enjoy the safety and security we are all entitled to. A starting point must be that where women and children are not safe in their homes or where they experience or have fear of violence and abuse, refuge is available to them. Responsibility in this regard falls on the Government. I genuinely ask it to make real progress and be ambitious as to what it can achieve for survivors of domestic abuse in Ireland.

Does the Minister of State acknowledge that we have to be more ambitious with our targets than was the case with the previous Minister for Justice? As an indication of that ambition, will the current Minister commit to opening a refuge in Cavan and Monaghan which will only be a precursor to delivering adequate refuge services in both counties?

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