Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

3. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on the Cuan Álainn women's refuge centre in Tallaght in Dublin 24; that since 2012 it has housed 71 women and 96 children fleeing domestic violence; if he has met with Respond housing association, as stated by him on 7 October 2015; his plans to prevent this crucial refuge for women from closure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36231/15]

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I tabled this question because Deputy Seán Crowe raised the matter as a Topical Issue on 7 October and in his reply the Minister replied that Respond! is in good financial health and that he would go to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to see what could be done. The Minister said he hoped a meeting with Respond! could be arranged shortly. Has the meeting been arranged and has the Minister met with Respond!? What was the outcome? If the resources are not made available to fund it, the Cuan Álainn refuge will be closed in only seven weeks.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Cuan Álainn centre was established independently of the State. It opened in 2012 and is funded by Respond!. The Cuan Álainn centre provides accommodation for a range of clients, some of whom may have been in emergency accommodation provided by domestic violence refuges.

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, allocates available funding for domestic violence to emergency refuge accommodation services and community-based domestic violence supports. The Cuan Álainn facility does not operate as a front-line emergency domestic violence service.

It provides step-down or transitional accommodation to support the transition to a permanent, settled home. This can include survivors of domestic violence who are making the transition from emergency services to a new, permanent home.

Officials from my Department and Tusla recently met with Respond, at its request, to discuss the situation in Cuan Álainn centre. The Department sought additional information from Respond, including information in relation to its overall financial position. The most recent information provided indicates that Respond, which comprises two companies, is in good overall financial health.

I hope that the matter can be satisfactorily resolved by allowing sufficient time for all avenues to be explored by the relevant parties. This will need to include discussion with other parties, including the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, as it would appear that these families have pressing housing needs.

Cuan Álainn provides important services, and I am anxious to do what I can to resolve the issue that has arisen. With this in mind, I have agreed to meet Respond and I am hopeful that this meeting can be arranged shortly. My private office is seeking to arrange such a meeting and I will check progress. A few days ago, officials were in the process of dealing with this. Tusla will continue to work closely with service providers to ensure that women and children fleeing domestic violence receive all necessary emergency support.

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

This was first brought to the attention of Tusla in September 2014 when Respond had a meeting with the agency about this issue. Its representatives flagged the fact that they would be unable to provide the €350,000 in funding to Cuan Álainn refuge centre after this year. No commitments were given by Tusla officials or anybody else but they requested that Respond keep the centre open for at least a year while they examined the issue.

The Minister referred to finances. There are two companies, Respond Housing Association and Respond Support Limited. The association looks after the maintenance of Respond housing. Their funding has been cut big time over the past number of years. They do not have the resources to provide the €350,000 needed. Respond Support Limited comprises youth services, family resources, child care and travelling programmes, and any money it gets goes directly into these services and must be accounted for. It is not a question of these companies having money to maintain services. There are only seven weeks left. I urge the Minister to make sure the refuge stays open. It is absolutely crucial for the women and children involved.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I believe that this refuge should stay open and I believe it does valuable work in supporting women and children who have had to leave a violent domestic situation. I am happy to facilitate a meeting with Respond officials and to explore with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government how we can have an orderly transfer of responsibility for this. The first meeting took place in early August. Providing only three months to deal with such a complex issue in terms of how the Government will address the provision of continuing support and having the refuge close the week before Christmas seems a little unfair on the people who occupy it. I do not want them left worrying about this over Christmas. I appeal to Respond, which is in good financial order, to come to the table with an open mind with regard to timing. I am well aware that its representatives would like to put the money somewhere else and I fully respect their decision to do that, but equally I ask that we be given time to organise an orderly transfer of funding and responsibility.

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister's recognition of Cuan Álainn refuge as a valuable resource, which is badly needed. Representatives of SAFE Ireland will appear before the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality later to talk about the need to properly resource domestic violence services. They say that at least €30 million needs to be put into services, and various agencies, including the Garda, need to provide resources to assist women and men in domestic violence situations. It is a serious issue, which has not been taken seriously to date, according to this organisation.

I beg to differ with the Minister. The problems in respect of the funding of services at the Cuan Álainn refuge were flagged with Tusla in September 2014; it was not just in the past few weeks. This should have been dealt with over time. It has been more than a year since it was flagged, and I urge the Minister to make sure the refuge stays open. It is absolutely crucial. If it does not remain open, that will have a serious knock-on effect on how the country addresses domestic violence and refuge provision.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

At my request, representatives of my Department and the Child and Family Agency met with Respond representatives on 5 August 2015, and at that meeting, Respond indicated that due to a lack of resources it would be unable to continue to run the Cuan Álainn centre and that its board had made a decision to close the service by the end of the year unless funding was obtained. I will leave it up to people to judge the necessity to have this happen just before Christmas when, clearly, Respond's financial situation does not dictate-----

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It was flagged a year ago.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

-----that it needs to take such pre-emptive action. I want this service to be maintained. I am more than happy to meet Mr. Brennan, and that is being organised. I want to arrange for officials from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to be present as well. Let us resolve this issue and not have women and children who have been distressed and traumatised by domestic violence worried about what will happen over Christmas. I certainly will not allow that to happen.