2026-01-27

148. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current number of domestic violence refuge spaces within the State; and the number he intends to have in place by the end of 2026. [6174/26]

I thank the Deputy for her question. Before giving the specifics, I will outline the method by which we organise refuge spaces and safe houses. It is through Cuan, collaborating with various stakeholders. The Deputy will be aware that Cuan collaborates with domestic violence services, approved housing bodies, the Department of housing and local authorities to facilitate local action and support service development and the delivery of safe accommodation and ancillary services. Currently, the number of safe accommodation spaces nationwide, including refuges and safe homes, stands at 232. I am informed by Cuan that, in 2025, the number of domestic violence refuge units increased by 13 – four in Louth and nine in Dublin – bringing the total to 172. A further nine units are being developed in Dublin and are expected to be operational early this year. A 12-unit refuge located in the Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown council area is scheduled to be completed and operational later this year. By the end of this year, we aim to increase the number of safe accommodation spaces, including refuges and safe homes, to 287. This will bring the total number of refuge units to 193 by the end of the year. Furthermore, Cuan is working towards having a minimum of 50 new refuge units under construction nationally across multiple sites in 2026. Last year, the number of safe home units increased by eight, bringing total safe home capacity to 60. Cuan is working to increase that capacity to 94 this year. Therefore, a considerable amount of work has been done in respect of refuges and safe homes. Both are important. While safe homes do not have the same level of protection and services as refuges, they remain extremely important in providing safe accommodation for women fleeing domestic violence.

In January 2022, the Minister’s predecessor committed to doubling the number of domestic violence refuge spaces in the State by the end of that year. I acknowledge that the doubling of available spaces is significant. However, the number in question is only half the number mandated by the Istanbul Convention on the prevention of violence against women and girls. That said, the Government commitment was to increase the spaces in 2022 from 141 to 282. Will the Minister outline again how many additional spaces have actually been delivered since 2022? Did he say 287 were supposed to have been delivered in 2022? How many will be delivered this year?

I am conscious of the Deputy's interest in refuges in Monaghan and Cavan. I was in Cavan–Monaghan recently. Progress is being made in respect of Monaghan and I had discussions with the local authority in Cavan. On safe accommodation spaces nationwide, including refuges and safe homes, the number stands at 232. I realise the Deputy wants to focus on numbers but the most important thing is to ensure as broad a range of refuges and safe homes as possible throughout the country. Considerable progress is being made in respect of this. I hope that by the end of this year, we will have increased the number of refuges and safe homes to 287. There is a tendency among policymakers – I am not suggesting the Deputy is among them – when considering refuges to assume they are the answer. In the first instance, the person who should be leaving the home is the abuser, the person who has inflicted violence. Regrettably, we are now getting into a situation where it is assumed the victim is the one who has to leave.

I thank the Minister for the number he just referred to: 232. We have not even increased the number to 282, which we were supposed to do in 2022. It is four years on from the Government’s announcement of zero tolerance of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Cavan and Monaghan remain without any refuge centres. As a member of Monaghan County Council from 2012, I was shouting about this, but we still do not have a centre. I realise the Minister has said it is not regarded as that important for perpetrators to leave their homes, but perpetrators are not leaving their homes. Therefore, where are affected women supposed to go? There is still no domestic refuge centre in Cavan or Monaghan. I know it is coming on board, but I have been listening to this for the past 12 years. When is it going to happen? It would be useful for the Minister to outline this. If he is going to events in Monaghan regarding a domestic abuse refuge, it would be good to let the TDs in the locality know about it. We are being kept in the dark and do not know when this domestic abuse refuge centre is coming on board. I was told at a meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts that there would be one in Cavan and one in Monaghan.

I thank Deputy Bennett for raising the question and commend the Minister for his work in this area. It is a difficult area, most of all for the women dealing with issues. I want to ask a question. I have heard from people working with women that Cuan seems in the main to work within a 12-week window. Many of the issues women are dealing with, including difficult situations at home, require more than 12 weeks to work out. I am familiar with a facility in Killester where women were for a year or more trying to resolve issues and getting the help they so badly needed. Could the Minister comment on the strategy of Cuan? How is it meant to work?

I will deal with Deputy Ó Muirí’s point in the first instance. I was out at Aoibhneas in his constituency, which is also that of Deputy Brabazon. Obviously, there are good refuges there. The 12-week window is not a rule of Cuan. I have spoken to Cuan in respect of it. I have spoken to the service providers. They do not have a 12-week period during which you can stay for 12 weeks and you have to go afterwards. There is no strict rule in respect of that. In regard to the number issues raised by Deputy Bennett, when I am talking about refuges I am not saying they are not important. We also need to realise that barring orders are still an option that is available and we should be seeing more of them so that the perpetrator gets out. On the refuge provision in Cavan-Monaghan, the capital assistance scheme stage 1 application for a refuge site in Monaghan was approved by the Department of housing last October. Work is ongoing towards submitting a stage 2 application, which will include further detail and costing for the full extent of works. The capital assistance scheme, CAS, process takes on average 75 weeks, with construction typically taking 15 to 18 months. Safe Ireland is the lead approved housing body on this development. Safe Ireland has expressed its commitment to explore other options of accommodation in the area of Monaghan but there is progress being made in the constituency.