Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 March 2022
74. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Justice the actions she will take to support the establishment of a women's refuge in County Carlow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16234/22]
View answerI will speak on this question on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Murnane O'Connor. The question relates to support for the establishment of a women's refuge in Carlow. Carlow's refuge was deemed a priority by Tusla in its emergency accommodation review in February. The review supports an inter-agency approach to the planning and delivery of accommodation for victims of domestic violence. The question relates to what has been done by the Department to provide refuges in the counties that do not have a refuge at present. When will we see results from the work?
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am very much aware that Deputy Murnane O'Connor is very passionate about making sure her county and the community she works with has a refuge and accommodation for women and their families who are fleeing violence and instances of domestic abuse. A number of streams of work are under way at present. As I have outlined previously, we are working to publish in the coming weeks the third national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. While there is a whole-of-government approach, a key element will be the provision of domestic violence refuge accommodation.
Specifically on this issue, we are building on the recently published Tusla report the Deputy mentioned. An agreement was reached between the Department and the Department with responsibility for children that the delivery and development of services and refuge accommodation would move under the aegis of the Department of Justice. We will have responsibility for the overall strategy and the delivery of policy and refuge accommodation. In recent weeks, since that report was published, there has been engagement with the community and voluntary sector.
We have established an interdepartmental high-level group, as the Deputy has mentioned. It is bringing together the Department of Justice, the Department with responsibility for children, Tusla, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department with responsibility for housing. We are looking at the existing structure, how refuge accommodation is delivered, the type of funding available, where the challenges are and how we can improve the structure and system. As part of this I anticipate that in the coming weeks the interdepartmental group will engage not only on the 56 spaces and areas identified in the Tusla review but also on an increase to 82 spaces with two additional counties.
Our long-term vision as well as this specific focus in the short term will be set out clearly in the coming weeks when we publish the action plan and the third national strategy. All of this needs to be taken together. While it is about refuge accommodation and providing initial support, it is also about all of the other elements, including education and making sure there is a whole-of-society response. Every Department has a role to play. The response from every Department in this regard has been very good to date. I anticipate we will have a significant number of actions in the strategy that will relate not only to the justice sector but also to many other areas.
I welcome the Minister's reply. Many issues need to be addressed. Some of them are easier than others. Domestic violence support services and places of refuge must be easily accessible. At present there is no phone line or office for help during weekends and after hours. As the Minister knows, domestic violence does not happen only between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Often it happens at other times of the day and night. In many cases it happens at weekends and at night. Is there a plan to establish an on-call service and wrap-around services such as those of the local authority when emergency accommodation is full? In Carlow there are two family emergency units. Due to Covid, only one is operational. It is nearly always full. There is nowhere for women fleeing violence. They often have to return to the same situation. What immediate action will be taken in Carlow to deal with these massive gaps in the services?
Initially, we need to engage with the groups working on the ground in Carlow that are ready to go with progressing and opening up a new refuge and new accommodation. I said a decision had been taken to bring services to the Department. A decision was subsequently taken to establish an agency that will be responsible for the delivery of services. This agency will work very closely with the community and voluntary sector, many bodies in which are already delivering services on the ground. The work being done by the interdepartmental and inter-agency group will transfer to the agency. It will take time to establish it as we will have to put it on a statutory footing.
The agency will be responsible for the delivery of service, making sure that the required actions set out in the Tusla review are taken and addressing the gaps that exist, including in Deputy Murnane O'Connor's county. It will also be responsible for ensuring that delivery of service is uniform so that, no matter where they are in the county, people seeking help will get it and people seeking accommodation will have it made available to them, along with the ancillary supports people need. It is not just about putting a roof over people's heads but about psychological support, supporting their children and helping them move on. The agency will play a key role in that regard.
I thank the Minister. As she will be aware and has recognised, Deputy Murnane O'Connor has been deeply involved in bringing stakeholders together and has engaged with such stakeholders, including victims and the local authority. However, they have not yet received any contact from the Department. A site has been identified for refurbishment and another has been identified for purchase. Again, there has been very little progress even in assessing the sites. What is going to happen on that? Does the Minister agree that it is often important to consider child protection measures once a family arrives in accommodation? Proper facilities are absolutely vital to make sure that people are starting again rather than just getting a hostel bed. Many people seeking refuge also need help finding a job, securing childcare and so on. Will the wraparound services be provided?
I reassure Deputy Ó Cuív and Deputy Murnane O'Connor that there will be engagement from the interdepartmental group soon. It is working to identify how we can improve the overall process. There will then be engagement with county councils and those already working on the ground. It is really important that Tusla remain deeply involved in this process. While the delivery of service is moving from Tusla to this new agency, Tusla will still have a very significant role and part to play. That is why it is represented on the inter-agency group. As Deputy Ó Cuív has mentioned, many women who are fleeing - and it is mainly women - come with children and support must be provided for those children. The issue of the wraparound supports and services must also be addressed. There is a body of work to be done. It is not just about looking at the physical built accommodation, the roof over people's heads. We must also consider how these people can actually get on with their lives, move on and access other accommodation, and what supports their children might need because this is obviously a very traumatic experience for children. In the third national strategy, there is a greater focus on children than there has ever been before. This is an acknowledgment that this issue has huge implications for children. I thank the Deputy for his questions.
