Lack Of Commitment On Domestic Violence In Housing Action Plan Criticised

The new Housing Action Plan has been criticised by Sinn Féin for lacking any commitment on domestic violence.

The plan was announced by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government on Wednesday, 20 July.

Sinn Féin TD and spokesperson on Housing, Planning, and Local Government, Eoin Ó Broin, has said he is "disappointed at the absence of any firm commitments in Minister Coveney's Housing Action Plan to increase funding for domestic violence refuges, step down accommodation and other support services".

He said: "A SAFE Ireland report launched in May this year estimates that as many as 4,000 women and children being accommodated on a yearly basis in emergency refuge accommodation are not being counted and recognised as being homeless. They have been left out of the homeless agenda.

"Lack of capacity in emergency refuges is also a problem. According to Women's Aid Ireland has a total of 21 women's refuges with 141 family places. This figure only represents 31% of the places needed according to a Recommendation of the Council of Europe.

"The Action Plan for Housing has stated that Tusla will provide additional emergency refuge accommodation spaces for victims of domestic violence. Are these the same as the extra eight family units that were promised for this year for the greater Dublin area as stated in a parliamentary question response in June?

"In the same response Minister Zappone confirmed to me that Tusla's 2016 budget is only €20.6m for all domestic violence support services. This will just maintain services at a 2015 level, with a small amount of additional funding for emergency accommodation in the Greater Dublin area.

"I will be writing to Minister Coveney and Zappone asking them to outline their plans for the funding and provision of domestic violence support services for next year."

(MH/CD)