Domestic Violence Refuges Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2019

Tuesday, 9 April 2019

Ceisteanna (558, 559)

Eoin Ó Broin

Ceist:

558. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of Tusla funded refuge places available in Dublin for 2019. [16076/19]

Eoin Ó Broin

Ceist:

559. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of Tusla funded refuge places available in each county for 2019, in tabular form. [16077/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 558 and 559 together.

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 domestic violence refuge 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 this year. In total, 155 family units of emergency accommodation are provided - 145 in emergency domestic violence refuges and 10 in emergency non-refuge accommodation.   

A family unit in emergency accommodation is generally used to accommodate a single family, i.e. one woman and her accompanying children and dependent adults. However, services may reconfigure room arrangements to suit the number, age and gender of family members. At times, two unaccompanied women may be asked to share a family unit.

The following table outlines the number of Tusla funded family units in refuges available in Dublin, and the number of Tusla funded family units in refuges available in each county for 2019, in tabular form.

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

County	Emergency Refuges Funded By Tusla	No. of Units
Clare	Clarehaven Services	6
Cork	Cuanlee Refuge	6
Donegal	Donegal Domestic Violence Services	4
Dublin	Saoirse Women's Refuge, Tallaght	6
Dublin	Sonas, Dublin	15*
Dublin	Aoibhneas Women & Children's Refuge, Coolock	10
Dublin	Rathmines Women's Refuge (Operated by Tusla)	9**
Galway	COPE Galway	6
Kerry	ADAPT Kerry Ltd.	6
Kildare	Teach Tearmainn Refuge	4
Kilkenny	Amber Women's Refuge, Kilkenny	7
Limerick	ADAPT Domestic Abuse Service, Limerick	14
Louth	Drogheda Women's and Children's Refuge Centre	11
Louth	Women's Aid Dundalk	5
Mayo	Mayo Women's Support Services Refuge	5
Meath	Meath Women's Refuge and Support Services	5
Sligo	Women's Domestic Violence Service	3***
Tipperary	Cuan Saor Women's Refuge And Support Services, Clonmel	4
Waterford	Oasis House Women's Refuge	14
Westmeath	Esker House Women's Refuge And Support Services, Athlone	4
Wexford	Wexford Women's Refuge	4
Wicklow	Bray Women's Refuge	7
Total		155

Explanatory Text on Table

*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.