Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence
Seanad Éireann — 2026-05-06
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Jim O'Callaghan (FF), Dublin Bay South

I thank Senator O’Reilly for raising this very important Commencement matter. A huge part of my portfolio is ensuring there is a full response to the scourge of domestic violence. As Senator O’Reilly will know, one of the avenues down which I must go as a response is ensuring that we do have refuge spaces and safe accommodation for women, and predominantly it is women, fleeing domestic violence in order that they can be accommodated in the short term.
The policy in respect of this area is worked through the statutory agency that has been set up and is under the control of my Department, namely, Cuan. It is engaging with various stakeholders, including approved housing bodies, AHBs, the Department of housing, the Housing Agency and local authorities to facilitate local action and support service development and the delivery of refuges and safe accommodation throughout the country.
As Senator O’Reilly indicated, there is no refuge or safe accommodation in County Cavan at present. When I started in this job 15 months ago, one of the things I wanted to look at and that stood out to me was that there was no refuge in Cavan-Monaghan. This area is presented as a constituency but, as Senator O’Reilly will know, it is a very broad geographical area. As he will know as well, there has been progress in the Cavan-Monaghan region in respect of a proposal for a refuge site in Monaghan. The capital assistance scheme, CAS, stage 1 application for a refuge site in Monaghan was approved by the Department of housing last October. Work is ongoing towards submitting a stage 2 application in Monaghan, which will include further detail and costings on the full extent of the works required. The CAS process takes, on average, 75 weeks, with construction taking between 15 to 18 months. Safe Ireland is the lead approved housing body on this development in Monaghan.
Notwithstanding the fact that we are moving down the pathway of having a refuge in Monaghan, it has become increasingly apparent to me that we need one in Cavan as well. I am advised that Cuan, which is under my control, is currently considering future options for potential refuge provision in Cavan in parallel with the progression of the refuge site identified in Monaghan.
Following engagement by Cuan with service providers and other stakeholders, including Cavan County Council, it has become apparent that there is an urgent need for a refuge not just in Monaghan but in Cavan as well. It is an important step that I make that statement in terms of achieving what Senator O’Reilly and other representatives from Cavan-Monaghan, including Deputies Brendan Smith and Niamh Smyth, have sought in respect of it as well.
I have written to my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne, requesting that a refuge for Cavan be prioritised in the next phase of refuge development. This will ensure that we are not delaying the provision of refuge services for victims of domestic violence. Adding Cavan to the priority list of developments will allow for site selection and the planning process to commence.
It is a positive answer that I have been able to give to Senator O’Reilly. A decision has been made that we do need a refuge centre in Cavan as well as in Monaghan. Now that I have written to the Minister, Deputy Browne, that process has commenced. I obviously cannot guarantee that we will have a refuge in Cavan within a very short time but the process has commenced. It is a bit behind what is happening in Monaghan but it is unquestionably the case that the direction of travel for the Government and me is to ensure that we have refuges in both Monaghan and Cavan.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-05-06/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:54+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-06