More than half of our domestic violence refuges around the country are full and local refuges are being forced to turn women and children away. Many of those women and children, in turn, have to travel to other parts of the country simply to seek safety. This is happening at a time when the Garda has told us it has received more than 60,000 calls concerning domestic abuse. Last December, the Minister for Justice said 98 refuge units would be delivered by the end of 2025 in the priority areas. Westmeath is deemed a priority area under the Minister's Government's strategy. Last year, Esker House in Athlone, provided emergency refuge accommodation to 28 women and 41 children but received requests from 267 people. This is the only such facility in the midlands. There is no refuge in County Longford.
Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht (Atógáil) - Questions on Policy or Legislation (Resumed)
I thank the Deputy.
While plans to build a new, purpose-built refuge centre already exist on paper, a suitable site is lacking and this is holding up the project. Will the Minister offer assistance to Esker House in sourcing a new site? If no site can be identified, how does the Government intend to meet its own targets and where will women and children in desperate need of safety go?
I thank Deputy Clarke very much for raising this important issue. My colleague, the Minister for Justice, is extraordinarily committed to adopting a zero-tolerance approach to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. As the Deputy may know, as recently as last week we saw the establishment of Cuan, the new national agency to co-ordinate these efforts. I thank the people undertaking the work in Esker House. The delivery of more refuge beds is a priority for the Minister for Justice. Specifically regarding Esker House in County Westmeath, I will ask the Minister to revert to the Deputy directly.
I have heard the Minister speak many times about his ambitions for South East Technological University but I remind him these cannot be realised without money. As the Minister knows, the president of the institution, Professor Campbell, produced a strategic plan in September that calls for €350 million in capital investment over five years. Along with this, she needs changes to the borrowing framework. As the Minister will know, lecturers' contracts are also a part of this context. The most immediate evidence of investment would concern the public private partnership, PPP, projects for the Carlow and Waterford campuses. Has the Government accepted the requirement for €350 million in capital investment over five years? Is it ring-fencing money for this endeavour? When will the Minister announce the commencement of the PPP project for the engineering building in Waterford and the other project for the building in Carlow?
I thank Deputy Shanahan for raising this issue. The PPP bundle 2 is currently at the tender stage. It is awaiting final tender. As soon as this is in, the Government will make a decision shortly thereafter. Regarding the strategic plan, I am in constant contact with Professor Campbell about it. I very much appreciate, support and endorse the contents of the plan. As I think the Deputy knows, from his asking of the question, all individual projects in any plan have to go through the public spending code process. It is not for the Government to say it can approve an entire master plan. We must approve such plans project by project. We are extraordinarily committed to working with Professor Campbell, and Professor Paddy Prendergast as the chair of the governing authority, on delivering the ambition of that master plan, which very exciting. We are in close contact with Professor Campbell on the matter.
We have three Deputies left to ask questions. I propose we take them all together in the last three minutes we have remaining.
In 2011, there were 3,800 people in emergency accommodation or homeless. There are now 14,000 people in this situation. Like other counties, people who have been made homeless in County Kerry, whether through relationship breakdown or for whatever other reason, want accommodation close to services and close to home. Currently, though, there is no emergency accommodation in west, mid, south or east Kerry. There is only such accommodation in Tralee and Listowel. The county council is doing much work, but it is only preventive work. In effect, it is only firefighting. There is a total reliance on beds contracted from private providers who will always take the fast and easy buck. Will the Minister ensure that purpose-built, modular accommodation will be provided to address this crisis?
The High Court in Belfast declared today that the UK's Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 is incompatible with human rights, particularly where it relates to immunity from prosecution. Having attended the inquest last week into the Springhill massacre, where five civilians were shot dead by the British Army in 1972, at the request of the families involved, it is important that these inquests will continue until they are finished and that whatever legal process might happen after that is not affected by immunity. Would the Minister agree that the British Government must cease using this legislation and repeal it urgently in the interests of peace and reconciliation and truth and justice on this island?
In a recent parliamentary question, I asked about the setting up of a promised new CAMHS team in County Wexford. I refer to the answer I received in the context of Deputy Ward's Bill to put the regulation of CAMHS on a statutory footing, which we will be voting on this legislation tonight.
The reply to the parliamentary question stated that the recruitment for the third CAMHS team in Wexford has been ongoing for some time. The candidate for the consultant psychiatric post withdrew their acceptance offer in autumn 2023. Another candidate withdrew their application in December 2023. That is nine months later and at present the post remains vacant. That is almost 21 months in total. As parents and everyone are aware, the CAMHS team cannot operate at full capacity without a consultant signing off on a diagnosis. The CAMHS team cannot put in place a proper plan for that child. I ask the Minister to intervene so that this critical post is filled without further delay.
I will certainly take up Deputy Daly's issue on the need for emergency accommodation in Kerry and his suggestion with the Minister for housing to revert to him directly on the matter.
I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, to look into the staffing of the CAMHS team and to respond to Deputy Mythen directly.
Deputy O'Dowd asked about the judgment in Belfast. I am aware of his ongoing interest in and work with families and victims' groups here. Obviously, we have only seen the judgment in Belfast in recent hours. It is a very long judgment, running to approximately 200 pages but it seems to be positive. The Government's position on this has been consistent and steadfast. We believe all families deserve justice and we want all families to get justice. We are very much aware of the judgment delivered in the High Court earlier. It is a long and detailed judgment in a case brought by a number of individuals whose route to truth and justice will be curtailed by the UK legacy Act. The Government will study the judgment carefully. Officials in the Department of Finance are in close contact with organisations assisting the plaintiffs. The Government's approach to legacy issues has been and remains that it must be victim centred and must be compliant with international human rights standards.