Paul Murphy presses for more refuge funding and housing support

Today is the last of 16 days of action to promote domestic violence awareness and in that context I'd like to ask the Minister and the Government's plans to support women's refuges and to support networks like the Women's Together Tala network in the context of some of the facts we've heard highlighted over these 16 days, one in two women murdered in Ireland being killed by their partner or ex-partner but Ireland only having one-third of the refuge space recommended by the Istanbul Convention Minister, two minutes Okay, thank you, Deputy Last Thursday I attended an event hosted by Saoirse Women's Refuge and Women Together Tala as part of the 16 days of activism campaign and before my time in government I worked directly with the local communities in the greater Tala area so I of course strongly value the hard work and the community spirit of the people of Tala I understand that the networks to which you refer receive funding from the Department of Justice and Equality TUSLA has a statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic violence and provides funding for the provision of the specialist frontline services These networks do not currently fall under the remit of TUSLA's funded services for domestic and sexual violence services Younger people are particularly vulnerable to abuse It is important that negative attitudes to women and girls are addressed early on So the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017 to 2020 It's a cross-government initiative in which many departments including my own are involved And TUSLA's also led on the delivery of the Manuela program which is for 15 to 17 year olds This six-week educational program equips young people with the skills and behaviors To promote consent and personal relationships and over 1,500 young people have participated in the program to date You know you raised the issue of refuge accommodation That's also important to me as part of the services and supports for victims of domestic violence Refuge should be temporary I think your deputy will have heard the Taoiseach in the house expressing his views that the perpetrator Not the victim should leave the home I agree with that It should be noted though that responsibility for investment in new refuges falls under the remit of the number of government bodies The planning and resourcing of additional refuge accommodation requires cross-government support Future developments but will be informed by TUSLA's review of emergency refuge accommodation nationwide And that will be completed in early 2020 As well as the identified needs of service users throughout the country I'm pleased to inform the deputy that five additional refuge spaces will become available in South Dublin this month And three additional refuge spaces will be available in Galway in January of 2020 Your first sublimentary deputy Thanks Yeah I mean I'd also pay tribute to the work of local women's groups in Tala and I'm sure it's the same right across the country Where you have paid employees but also volunteers who are making up in some cases for the inadequacies of state provision I welcome the fact that you have a new refuge being opened And I accept that it's not purely the minister's responsibility But like the fact that Saoirse for example has to do all this fundraising In order to be able to fill the centre with furniture, with equipment etc Demonstrates a real problem that it's not sufficiently funded Even with the new centre being opened, does the minister accept that for example compared to the Istanbul standards We still have significantly less than we need What long term plans exist to keep refuge centres afloat and not be forced to kind of engage in all this fundraising From local communities as opposed to being provided by the state Thank you Deputy, of course I'd be really very much aware of the additional fundraising that services, domestic refuge shelters need to do Because they talk to me too I'm going to answer that in a couple of different ways Just in terms of the ongoing resources that they require I suppose really since the beginning of my ministry I've increased the resources to this arena, this sector by over 5 million euros in the last number of years That is limited, I understand that But there has been increase because of priority In last year as well as I expect to anticipate this year What's the best way to target the money? I've asked the sector I've pulled together representatives of the sector In order to identify how to best use the resources to meet the greatest need I think the issue around the standard and the Istanbul Convention I would like to address that just in my final reply maybe because Thanks I just want to in my final supplementary raise the question of the interaction Between domestic violence and intimate partner violence and the housing crisis Safe Ireland reported that housing instability is four times more likely for women who have experienced domestic violence And one in four homeless women cite intimate partner violence as a major contributor to their homelessness As illustrated by a recent woman who contacted me for assistance And again it doesn't directly relate to the question of refuges But effectively she lives very close to her former partner who is abusive and violent towards her South Dublin County Council refuses to treat her as a priority In terms of getting a transfer because she's a tenant of an approved housing body The approved housing body has tried to assist but doesn't have appropriate alternative accommodation She's basically left in limbo between the council and the approved housing body Because the approved housing body said they don't have anywhere appropriate And the council simply refuses to treat her as a priority Despite letters from Women's Refuge, letters from the Gardaí, etc. Thank you Deputy and thank you for raising the issue I'm very much aware of myself in terms of the interface between the issue of housing, homelessness And domestic and sexual based violence So clearly that is an issue Safe Ireland is one of our greatest organisations in this regard And does excellent work And I think the issues that they raise and share with you I am also aware of and trying to seek to address Can I, just in terms of the standards And standards in relation to Istanbul Convention How many refuge spaces that we have I think as the Deputy is aware There are two standards that are recommended by the Istanbul Convention TUSLA is following One, Safe Ireland and other organisations want us to follow the other Which requires that we, I think, would increase the numbers of refuge spaces by significantly more than what we have now The current standard that is being used I think we're almost providing the number of refuge spaces that we do require Rath Kool available Sir shortly, five units, five adults, 15 children Rath Mines available early in 2020 Nine more, nine units, nine adults, 27 children And Galway There will also be additional numbers You know, TUSLA is reviewing what is required throughout the country I think those standards are going to be reviewed I've indicated my own preference for I suppose a standard that requires more refuge spaces Although I am aware of the fact that that would cost considerable more money And one of the reasons that TUSLA and others are going with the first standard Is because of the argument we ought to spend our money Way over time To provide community services and integrate them into the community Thank you, Mr. We're moving on to topical issues