Still nowhere to go for domestic abuse victims

Patrice Brady

Depite the shocking revelations that the two out of three victims of domestic violence being turned away, and forced to return to their abuser, no progress has been made in providing accommodation. However, a trio of local deputies have vowed to persue the issue in the Dail.
In an Anglo-Celt exclusive, which was highlighted by RTE radio’s Drivetime programme, it was revealed that there is no access to emergency refuge accommodation in the county. Women in the west of the county, are directed to Mayo, Galway and Donegal, while victims from the rest of the county were directed to Dundalk.
Cavan and Monaghan support group Tearmann said that they often had no alternative but to turn away the victims, and accepted many of the women won’t return for help.
Siobhan McKenna, chairperson of Tearmann, said that they had not been contacted by either politicians or the HSE in light of the appalling shortfall in emergency accomodation.
“We do understand how tight funding is, with the way things are at the moment,” said Ms McKenna.
“There’s a refuge in Wexford that is closing now for the next 13 weeks because they have run out of funding in their budget.”

Vowing
However, there was cross-party support with three of Cavan-Monaghan TDs vowing to raise the issue in the Dail returns later this month.
Also, Heather Humphreys, Fine Gael TD sympathised with the women who have nowhere to go but back to their abuser.
“I will most certainly be raising the issue again and I have raised the issue before about the lack of support for victims of domestic abuse and having to wait for housing,” said Deputy Humphreys. “When the Dail is next in session I will be raising the issue again as I did before because it’s a real problem when a woman is abused and she has to stay in the same house as the abuser. They also can’t get on a housing list as they are registered as already owning a property.
“Where does a woman, that experiences domestic abuse, go with the little accommodation available? This issue needs to be addressed.”

Raise
Fianna Fail TD, Brendan Smith promised: “I will be raising the issue in the Dail. At the moment I am preparing a letter to the HSE to highlight the issue, and the lack of accommodation to the victims within the county will be raised in September.”
“This is something I’ve highlighted before,” said Caoimhghin O Caolain, Sinn Fein’s spokesperson for Health matters. “It’s important for local services that these matters be raised. As opposition spokesperson for health, my role in shadowing the current Minister for Health, James Reilly, is to ensure this problem is dealt with. I will be raising this issue and something will be done.”
Deputies Joe O’Reilly and Sean Conlan were unavailable for comment at the time of going to print.