A Dublin women’s refuge organisation has said it has no option but to turn away around 70% of the calls for help that come in.
It comes after a Tusla report into the accommodation available to victims of domestic violence warned that there are not enough spaces available to meet Ireland’s needs.
The report, due to be published this week, highlights parts of the country that have no access to services and calls for more than 50 extra refuge spaces.
Allison Graham CEO of the Saoirse charity, which runs a number of women’s in Dublin, told Newstalk women are constantly being turned away because there are not enough spaces available.
“The demand for refuge, even pre-COVID, was far exceeding supply but I suppose the pandemic really increased that,” she said.
“We have been open 15 years and, on average, we turn away about 70% of the requests for refuge because we just don’t have space.
“That experience is very similar across the country.”
It comes as the Government prepares to announce a new agency to oversee the State response to sexual, domestic and gender-based violence.
The agency will form part of the third national strategy on sexual, domestic and gender-based violence.
The strategy is expected to launch in the spring and the Justice Minister Helen McEntee this afternoon briefed her Cabinet colleagues on plans for a new public and stakeholder consultation that will inform it.
On The Pat Kenny Show this morning, Women’s Aid CEO Sarah Benson said the lack of refuge spaces is just one of the issues that needs to be addressed.
“Of course we have a shortfall of refuge spaces but refuge is not the only solution,” she said.
“It is no good women and children fleeing to refuge if they have no option but then to face, in some cases, having to go back to a dangerous home. We need accommodation for domestic violence victims to be put in the context of the housing and homeless strategy and not isolated.
“Similarly, our education has to look at prevention in the context of gender equality, healthy relationships, pushing back on issues like pornography and things like that. Creating healthy discourse with our young people so education has a role.”
Ms Benson said the charity is really looking forward to some clarity on what the strategy will look like and how quickly it can be implemented.
It is expected to be at least a year and a half before the new agency is fully up and running.
Reporting from Stephen Murphy
