Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)

County Roscommon is one of a number of counties with no domestic violence refuge. I met with Roscommon Safe Link over the summer. I must commend them on the great work that they do.

For a number of years, they have been struggling to find a location for a refuge, which they are anxious to establish for the county. They are struggling to find one that meets the standards that are being applied by the Housing Agency. They are finding them too restrictive. What they have asked is that there would be a more realistic and flexible approach to site assessment, without which we are not going to have a refuge in County Roscommon. Will the Minister please look at the standards that are being applied and see can there be some level of flexibility in cases where a site has not been found despite the best efforts of those involved?

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