Council looks to combat violence in the home

Cork County Council could be set to take on a greater role in helping victims of domestic violence after hearing from a councillor who said she was a victim herself.

The council’s Housing Special Purposes Committee is to invite child protection agency Tusla, the HSE and other bodies which deal with the fallout from domestic violence to a meeting in two weeks to discuss the issue.

The move came after Sinn Féin councillor June Murphy, who told colleagues during the council discussion she once suffered from domestic violence, said there were gaps in helping victims in the county, especially when it came to protecting refuges.

Ms Murphy did a significant amount of research on the topic and gave a lengthy presentation to colleagues at a meeting in County Hall.

She said that the council should take on more of a role in this field, as other local authorities had, and urged it to build a special refuge in north Cork.

“Tralee Town Council has played a prominent role in setting up of the Open Door Network, which is Kerry’s response to violence against women and children,” said Ms Murphy.

“In Mayo, the county council provided land upon which Mayo Women Support Services now provide four family units and one single unit of crisis accommodation and they also have a comprehensive outreach programme at 12 different locations around the county.

“We cannot rely on central government to do this for us as, since 2009, HSE core funding for domestic violence has been reduced by 14%.

“Safe Ireland has pointed out that there are serious, chronic and even lethal health consequences for victims of domestic violence. In Ireland since 1996, 63% of murdered women (130) have been killed in their own homes.”

Ms Murphy said the support team in the North Cork anti-domestic violence group in had dealt with 503 calls in 2013/14, 267 face-to-face appointments and accompanied 23 victims to court.

Ms Murphy said there was a huge need for safe refuges in north Cork and other parts of the county for women and children which were manned around the clock. She won cross-party support for her request, with Fianna Fáil councillor Ian Doyle in particular commending her work.

Fine Gael councillor Deirdre Forde said it was a very worthy motion but needed more debate, to which the mayor of County Cork, Independent councillor John Paul O’Shea, said it should be teased out further at the Housing Committee.

Council chief executive Tim Lucey said the local authority responds when somebody is in need of emergency housing. He acknowledged that more space was needed for victims and said the council should enter discussions with other relevant agencies.

The chairman of the Housing Committee, Fianna Fáil councillor Seamus McGrath, said he would organise the meeting.