Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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14. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he has met with Respond Housing Association regarding the closure of a refuge centre (details supplied) in Dublin 24 on 12 December 2015. [42643/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I facilitated a meeting with Respond on 3 November, at its request, to get an account of the nature of the service provided, the reasons behind the decision to close the service, and to get a better understanding of Respond’s previous interaction with state bodies in relation to the Centre referred to by the Deputy.

The Centre, in the main, provides second stage residential accommodation for persons whose emergency needs arising from domestic violence have been met.

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, in discharging its statutory responsibility, funds emergency refuge services for adults and children fleeing domestic violence, as well as providing a range of ongoing community supports. Tusla will continue to provide such supports in the future.

Respond informed me that it is not accepting any new referrals to the Centre. At the time of the meeting there were five families in residence at the Centre. Permanent accommodation had been secured for two of the families. The remaining three families residing at the Centre required to be housed. The local housing authorities are best placed to address such needs.

At the meeting, Respond outlined how it decided to build the Cuan Álainn Centre on foot of its own needs analysis, which determined that the area did not need another domestic violence refuge, but there was a need for move-on accommodation for those using emergency refuges.

In general, the Centre provides transitional housing for survivors of domestic violence after their emergency needs have been met. The majority of referrals to the Centre are from existing domestic violence refuges already funded by Tusla.

Each of the families at the Centre has housing needs, and these are best provided through mainstream housing supports via local authorities.

I advised Respond that I would contact my colleague, the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to establish what can be done to assist the families involved, particularly in light of the housing needs of the families who reside at the Cuan Álainn Centre. I have done that and also asked Minister Kelly to ensure that there is further engagement by the relevant local authorities with Respond regarding the future of the service.

I would also like to assure the Deputy that Tusla will continue to work closely with these families by providing appropriate community supports.