Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence

Tuesday, 9 April 2024

Questions (851, 891)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

Question:

851. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Justice for an update on the Carlow women's refuge; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14096/24]

View answer

891. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Justice what discussion her Department has had with the HSE and Carlow County Council and the Minister for Health regarding the provision of a building or a site for a women's refuge in Carlow; if the provision of a safe house has been secured in an interim measure; if her Department is aware of how many safe houses are available in Carlow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14609/24]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I propose to take Questions Nos. 851 and 891 together.

Combating domestic, sexual and gender-based violence remains an absolute priority for this Government, for my Department and for An Garda Síochána. This is reflected in our policies, legislative proposals and in increased budgetary allocations in recent years. The scale of our ambition in this regard is set out in our whole of Government Zero Tolerance Strategy to combat all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, better support victims and survivors and create a society that does accept the behaviours and attitudes that underpin these terrible crimes.

Central to delivering on the Zero Tolerance goal of this strategy was the establishment of Cuan, the statutory based domestic, sexual and gender-based violence agency which I was delighted to formally open in February of this year.

Cuan has a mandate to drive the implementation of the strategy across Government, bringing the expertise and focus required to tackle this complex social issue and it will work collaboratively with the NGO and DSGBV services sector to ensure that the best possible services are in place to meet the needs of victims and survivors.

As part of its remit, Cuan has responsibility for the provision of DSGBV services, including the provision and funding of refuge spaces and will be working with the sector and with relevant Government Departments and agencies to deliver on the commitment to double the number of refuge spaces across the country, bringing it to 280 by the end of the timeframe of this current Strategy.

As the Deputy is aware, Carlow is one of the counties in Ireland without a refuge and as such is on the priority list for the development of a refuge. Cuan will be working with relevant stakeholders to deliver this and I have referred the questions posed by the Deputy to Cuan for direct reply.