A Galway County Councillor has voiced serious concerns about alarming levels of ‘horrendous’ domestic violence and called for a Domestic Violence Refuge.
Cllr Evelyn Parsons was speaking at a municipal meeting on Ballinasloe Local Area Plan, where she said there is a gross under provision of Domestic Violence Refuge places.
The Independent councillor said that approximately eight people fleeing domestic abuse are turned away daily and forced to remain living with their abuser in many instances or face homelessness.
Cllr Parsons described this as “cruel and totally unacceptable”, saying that there is a lack of adequate provision in the Galway County Council area.
“We cannot turn our backs on people in danger and in crisis, said Cllr Parsons.
“We desperately need more refuges and need to look at how we can support families in dire situations in our county and safely maintain children in their schools, women in their jobs, allow them to remain in touch with their support network, family, friends while escaping a violent relationship.”
Cllr Parsons pointed out there are just 144 refuges places for women and children even though Ireland’s target is 472 under the Istanbul convention.
Director of Housing Liam Hanrahan agreed to bring the matter before the Housing Special Policy Committee of Galway County Council.
There has been a 40 % rise in calls in the past year with Covid restrictions escalating incidences of DSGBV and there are still are no refuges for men encountering domestic violence in the state.
Cllr Parsons passed a motion last year calling for the publication of a third DSGBV Strategy and asked for the national audit on emergency accommodation to be expedited and also raised the issue at Regional Health Forum for victim supports.
“The system itself can re-traumatise the affected child and abused mother,” she said.
“It can put them in direct conflict with welfare conditions arising from involvement with Túsla.
“We are still waiting for the overdue reports I called for a year ago. It’s time that legal and welfare systems get real and consider emotional abuse and effects on the child’s welfare,” said Cllr Parsons.
But Domestic Violence Refuges are a response, not a solution, to the complex and wide-ranging issue, according to the councillor.
She said that information, judicial protection, and therapeutic supports are also needed.
“On a practical level a clear call for provision of a Domestic Violence Refuge is the most significant step we can take in our local area plan to help alleviate the misery, terror and damage and provide protection to victims, those targeted adults and defenceless children in an extreme crisis situation and I look forward to seeing this swiftly progressed.”
