Kathleen Funchion: Urgent plea for refuge funding amid domestic deaths

Thanks very much. I thought maybe Minister McEntee would be here, but I understand people can't necessarily be everywhere. I was going to start by saying that I know that she has a strong track record on this, and I know that she is genuinely committed to this, so I start in that context. The reason I wanted to raise this topic, first of all, I have an interest in this area, and I do a lot of work locally with various people trying to flee domestic violence relationships, as I'm sure lots of other TDs do as well, and I've tied in a lot with our own refuge, Amber, that's based in Kilkenny, but covers Carlow Kilkenny for several years now. And to be honest, I was really angry last week, looking at the news, because we've had two recent, and I'm not going to go into any individual cases, but we have had two recent situations in the news about bodies of women being discovered, that would very much appear anyway, that it's a domestic homicide situation, and it just seems to be a constant in our news, and I nearly feel that people are becoming desensitised to this whole topic, because it's happening so regularly. So already, five women in 2023 have been killed violently, and in the vast majority of these cases, it's by somebody that is known to them. Last year, which was one of the worst years on record, we had 13 women killed. Now, we're in June, we're not even at the end of June, and five women have been killed, so if this continues, this will be the worst year on record. I know that there has also been a report today, Women's Aid launched their annual report, and I know that there is a huge increase in demand for services. Part of me welcomes that, because it means that people are coming forward, and people are speaking out, and people are pursuing their cases. However, the services that are there need to be supported, and I know, and I expect part of the answer will be around the new strategy, and all of the work in terms of one agency, situated in the Department of Justice. I welcome all that, but in the interim, we need to see some serious, urgent, and emergency measures, and I'll give a few examples. The refuges that we currently have, and the services that are supporting mainly women, and I know that men do suffer from domestic violence as well, but we also know that it is mainly women, they need to be given additional funding where they are overstretched, because I often hear in this chamber, and in other quarters too, that we're taking this issue seriously, that government are really doing their best. I don't doubt that, but then I see our local service fundraising, or hoping to get a grant for works that might cost £30,000 or £40,000, and I'm thinking, if we are taking this issue so seriously, why aren't we providing them with that funding? Because I do understand the whole reason about having one agency, I understand it being in the Department of Justice, and I welcome that, but I do think we need to see interim, emergency, urgent measures now. I also think that we need to have a consultation with the groups in relation to what emergency measures do we take now, not only to highlight this, but to see what we can do while we're waiting for the strategy to be implemented, and while we're waiting for the agency to be set up. I also want to question the capital funding. It seems like it's coming from the Department of Housing, administered by TUSLA, and now it's also kind of injustice, but where actually is the funding for this? The refuge in Rexford is costing £6.5 million, and as I understand it, only £2 million was set aside for all capital projects in relation to refuges last year, so that means that we're not even going to get one full refuge this year, and there's nine counties, as we know, that don't have any refuges, and it's not just about that. I want to mention stuff around barriers to housing, step-down housing, and also education, but I'll do that in my supplementary, but really, Minister, I wanted to raise this because I was so angry looking at those reports, and looking at the so-called supports that are going to be put in place for these alleged perpetrators, and yet I'm thinking, where's the support for those families? Where's the support for those children who are left without mothers? Because I can guarantee you, they're not there, and they're not as plentiful as what we're being led to believe. Thank you. On behalf of Minister McIntyre, I would like to thank Deputy Kathleen Funcion for raising this issue in the House today, and according to Women's Aid's Impact Report, which was launched earlier today, 12 women died violently in 2022. Twelve beautiful lives were stolen, and 12 families were forced to suffer immediate and immeasurable grief. I can assure you the Government is utterly focused on delivering a society that does not accept this brutality or the attitudes that underpin it. It is coming up to 12 months since the Minister McIntyre launched Zero Tolerance, our strategy to combat domestic sexual and gender-based violence. The pillars upon which this is built are prevention, protection, prosecution, and policy coordination, and which recognises it is the only true society-wide effort that we will achieve the necessary change. I want to assure Deputy Funcion that there is a huge body of work underway as we speak in this regard. Key elements include doubling the overall number of refuge units over the lifetime of the strategy, so that when a woman needs refuge, there is one available. At the moment, sometimes the local authority or the local refuge might put somebody in a hotel for a week or two or something on a temporary basis, which is totally unsatisfactory for both the victim and their children, as there would be in many of these cases. So the establishment of the Domestic Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Agency next January will bring the expertise and focus required to tackle this complex social issue. Many of the actions in the strategy are focused to enhance support for victims, and the provision of legal aid and legal advice, trauma-informed training, and national awareness campaigns are all provided for. Minister McIntyre is progressing legislation in the area to double the maximum sentence for assaulting and causing harm, introduce standalone offences for stalking and non-fatal strangulation, and update sexual offences legislation, including in relation to the law around consent. And we all know the importance of criminal justice, of strong legislation, of reporting of supports for victims, and coordination approach in our work with victims. But the fundamental weapon we have to fight against gender-based violence is, and will always be, prevention. It is a huge piece of work around which change in attitudes and social norms as to what is acceptable. As part of the Department of Justice, it is looking at the success of previous awareness-raising campaigns to reduce new initiatives around prevention consent, intimate image abuse, and public awareness of victims' rights. But this is a whole-of-government strategy approach, and it includes society generally. For example, the ongoing action plan includes updating secondary school curricula at junior and senior cycle to include consent, domestic violence, coercive control, and safe use of the internet, and improving training for professionals and support staff. We have prioritised issues since coming to government, but I know much more needs to be done, and we will not be found wanting in that regard. I do want to agree with everything the Deputy said earlier. We are in adjoining counties, and I think the problems we face are identical in both, and I am sure in every other county as well. And you do mention the point that something needs to be done in interim funding between now and when this strategy is implemented. Because, as you said, there are nine counties, including both of our own counties, that doesn't have a proper refuge service. And it's very temporary what happens, and sometimes they're relying on agencies in other counties. And no matter how quick we try and build those new refuge centres, which are required and should be in every county, it is going to take a couple of years, no matter how we do it. So the issue of funding has to be addressed in terms of the interim, because we can't wait until they're all built. We need funding, both capital and current funding, to deal with those issues until we get the strategy fully implemented. Thank you very much. Thank you. I'm raising this in the hope that we can have some sort of a roundtable discussion or consultation and see where things are working effectively. Can we replicate that? And to consult with the groups about what they feel might be some interim measures that we can deal with. Because I just feel we have to do something before we again hear on the news of another death of a woman. And again, it's becoming nearly normalised, which is a horrific thing to say, but that's nearly what it feels like. The education thing as well, I think, is really, really important. And there's programmes like that Triple P, Positive Parenting Programme, which is really helpful for people who want to come out of abusive relationships. And a lot of these could be rolled out further. And the other thing to mention as well is the housing situation, because it is a major, major barrier. And step-down housing, some counties have that, some counties don't, but anywhere that does at the moment, people are going into those houses. And because there's such a lack of availability, one or two of the things that we could do in the interim is make it easier for people to access some of the short-term measures such as HAP and increase HAP payments in those situations. I'm talking specifically for people in domestic violence situations, because often they'll go to the local authority and there's an issue around your name is on a house. Now, that, sorry, just really briefly, that has kind of changed and it depends, but again, it depends who you're dealing with. But some of those kind of short-term, interim measures, I think we really need to look at that while we're waiting for the wider thing to be established. Sorry for going over time. And again, I want to thank Deputy Kathleen Function for raising this issue. And I think we all understand, and I think the figures and subject to correction, that I think 90% of women who suffer domestic violence, the perpetrator, is known to them in practically all cases. So we have to start on that basis. It's not a random issue, and we have to take it that there's a more insidious nature happening behind the scenes before it comes to light in many of these situations. And I do agree with you on the interim, because some of the refuges were built through the Department of Housing, which was the traditional way of funding through that department. And now it's very good it's all been centred in the Department of Justice, but we would want the transition of the funding and the approach and the expertise and the building the refuges that are there to work closely with the Department of Justice in the interim. And you're quite right when you say we need some work with the local authorities in terms of housing during the particular period when the emergency arises, and perhaps the local authority can have a role. But the one thing I do want to say, and I think most of us will know, that the Gardaí have really, really stepped up their involvement in this issue in the last couple of years. And I've quoted this example several times, that I know of every incident that happened in my area, the guards drop everything, and they're out to wherever the location is as quickly as humanly possible. And they have given number one priority to domestic abuse, I think, across all the regions in the country, and is visibly noticeable. So much so, I say it lightheartedly, if it's possible to say it's such a thing in a debate like this. But I've had people complaining about antisocial behaviour in the area, they ring the guards, and they say, and they know that domestic violence cases come before any other event that's happening in the locality. And I think that's, and I do want to compliment the Gardaí on their understanding, and the officers, and the kind nature of Imani de Gardaí in the areas where they deal with the situation. But we do need interim measures in place until the full strategy is implemented in the interests of the women who are suffering.