Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 June 2023
99. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the capital expenditure cost of providing one staffed additional family refuge space; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28773/23]
View answerAs part of Zero Tolerance: Ireland's Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV), the Government has committed to deliver new refuge places in Wexford, Dundalk and Navan and a number of other priority locations.
As with all construction projects, a range of factors can have a direct impact on the level of costs including, but not limited to, cost of the development sites, abnormal costs that might arise, the level of ancillary services that might be included in the development, tender costs applicable at the time, etc.
The Wexford Women's Refuge is currently under construction and received funding approval for an all-in cost of €6,457,789 for 12 family units plus a range of ancillary and support services, equating to a cost of €538,149 for each family accommodation unit. Other refuge projects are in various stages of planning and early stage design so costings are very preliminary at this point.
Regarding staffing and operational costs, these are not part of the capital funding which my Department provides; funding for operational purposes for refuges is provided by Tusla.
