Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

951. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of women's refuge centres here; the number of women these centres can cater for and in these centres at present; the name of the centre which supports women in Cavan and Monaghan; her plans to introduce more; the supports in place for women in counties of Cavan and Monaghan who have no centre; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26789/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency allocates funding for a network of 60 organisations that provide services to victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in Ireland. This includes 20 services that provide some 145 family units of emergency refuge accommodation to women and children.

Tearmann Domestic Violence service which is based in Monaghan town provides support, information and court accompaniment services to women experiencing domestic violence. It also provides an outreach service in County Cavan. In 2015, the Tearmann Domestic Violence service provided services to 251 women, approximately half of whom were from County Monaghan and half from County Cavan.

There are no women's refuges at present in Counties Cavan and Monaghan. However, Tearmann Support Service refers women who need emergency accommodation to women’s refuge centres in Navan, Dundalk and Drogheda. The capacity of these units to provide emergency accommodation is as follows:

At all times my priority, and that of Tusla, is to ensure that the needs of women and children fleeing domestic violence are being met in the best way possible.