A MEETING is being held this week that will decide the future of a women and children’s refuge in Tallaght.
The housing charity Respond! says it cannot continue to fund the refuge centre that provides a safe haven for women and children fleeing from domestic violence.
Respond! opened the Cuan Alainn Women and Children’s refuge in January 2012 in response to an identified need for the service in the area.
Since it opened three years ago, the charity has funded the service from its own resources to the tune of nearly 1 million euro over the last three years.
However, it says it cannot continue to do so into the future without State support.
“Male-on-female violence is classless and ageless,” said Elaine Burnett, manager of Respond!
“It respects neither location nor ethnicity, women of means or women of no means.”
According to the charity, more than 2,500 individuals are now using State funded emergency accommodation across the country.
In Dublin alone approximately 300 families are now living in emergency accommodation with over half, including an estimated 350 children, occupying hotel rooms.
“Since its opening, a total of 55 women and 82 children have accessed our service at Respond! Cuan Alainn,” Ms Burnett added. “We can cater for nine families at any one time. It is heart-breaking having to turn people away. Desperate people. And there is no way of knowing how many more people are out there, living in fear for their safety and that of their children.”
Ms Burnett stated that without some State subvention the future of services cannot be guaranteed.
“If this centre does not survive, on any given night, nine women and their children will have no place to go,” she said.
Ned Brennan, Chief Operations Officer with the housing charity, told Southside People they were the only housing charity in the city that does not receive funding from the State.
“It is only due to the generosity of private business partners like Healy Kelly Turner & Townsend that Respond! and other charitable organisations across the county can hope to fullfill their many obligations which include the pressing and urgent requirement to house desperate people,” he said.
It has emerged that the Child and Family Agency will meet with Respond! next week to discuss the services provided by the Cuan Alainn Women’s Refuge in Tallaght.
This has been welcomed by Eamonn Maloney TD.
“Since 2012 Cuan Alainn has provided a very valuable service in Tallaght for women and children who are victims of all types of domestic violence and abuse,” he said.
“In that time they have provided a safe haven for 55 mothers and 80 children who were forced to leave their own homes through no fault of their own.
“We cannot underestimate the value that is provided by Cuan Alainn to the community. Legislators have a duty to organisations such as Respond! which provide safe havens in the community and are in the front line of the defence of vulnerable women and children from violence and abuse.
“I welcome the announcement that the Child and Family Agency will meet with Respond! next week and I wish them every success in the meeting.”