Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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596. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of domestic refuge centres here in tabular form; the number of spaces available by centre; the number of persons who availed of the services of each centre in 2018; the periods during 2018 when each of these centres were full to capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11861/19]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has responsibility for the provision of funding, co-ordination and support to 21 organisations which provide emergency refuge and emergency non-refuge accommodation to victims of domestic violence and their children. In addition to this Tusla maintains a refuge facility in South Dublin which has been temporarily closed for essential refurbishment works. This facility is expected to re-open as a domestic violence refuge in Quarter 2 of this year. In total, 155 family units of emergency accommodation are provided - 145 in emergency refuges and 10 in emergency non-refuge accommodation.

Table 1 sets out the location and capacity of emergency refuge and emergency non-refuge accommodation throughout the country.

Tusla receives activity data from service providers retrospectively on an annual basis. Data on 2018 occupancy will be available later in 2019. Information on specific periods when the occupancy of accommodation exceeds capacity is not currently available.

There are challenges in ensuring that there is an appropriate configuration of spaces available to all women and children who require emergency refuge accommodation. Tusla seeks to achieve the optimum use of specialist emergency accommodation while also focusing on prevention and effective community based services to avoid, in so far as possible, the need for use of refuges or emergency non-refuge accommodation by vulnerable women and families.

It is important that the needs of victims of domestic violence are met in the best way possible, with due attention to the quality, accessibility, and outcome of services. I am committed to supporting Tusla in meeting the needs of individuals who experience domestic violence. I will engage with Tusla, and with stakeholders from the sector, regarding the most appropriate use for the €1.5m in additional funding secured for DSGBV services in 2019.

Table 1: Location and number of emergency refuge and emergency non-refuge accommodation family units

* The overall figure of 15 includes 8 family units of emergency refuge accommodation, and 7 family units of emergency non-refuge accommodation.

** As Rathmines Women's Refuge has temporarily closed, the availability of these units is currently on hold. The facility is expected to re-open as a domestic violence refuge in Quarter 2 of this year.

*** These 3 units are provided in the form of emergency non-refuge accommodation only.