Ireland won't meet obligations on domestic violence refuges until end of decade

Istanbul Convention requires the Government to increase the number of refuge places by around 350

Justice Minister Helen McEntee said satellite hubs will be established so those fleeing domestic violence and abuse can remain close to their families and community support. File picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Ireland will not reach the required number of domestic violence refuge spaces until the end of the decade, Justice Minister Helen McEntee has indicated.

Ms McEntee has promised that at least 100 more domestic violence refuge spaces will be rolled out by the end of 2023.

However, it could be seven to eight more years before Ireland meets the targets set out in the Istanbul Convention, which requires the Government to increase the number of refuge places by around 350.

A series of short-, medium-, and long-term targets are set to be laid out in a national strategy to combat domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence which Ms McEntee intends to bring to Cabinet in the coming weeks.

Nine counties currently do not have dedicated domestic violence refuges. Ms McEntee has said that Carlow and Offaly will have facilities set up in the short term.

As well as adding beds to existing refuge centres, Ms McEntee said other "satellite hubs" will be established so those fleeing domestic violence and abuse can remain close to their families and community support.

Ireland is currently providing less than 30% of the places recommended under the Istanbul Convention, however, Ms McEntee said this will not be fully addressed in the short term or within the lifetime of the next five-year strategy.

"There are short-, medium-, and long-term objectives where the overall goal is reaching the Istanbul number. That short term is maybe in the next two years," she said.

Ms McEntee said officials are also looking at working with local authorities and existing refuges to identify other accommodation options that can be dotted around the country.

"That in itself will develop numbers, separate from the actual individual refuges themselves."

Ms McEntee acknowledged delays with the third national strategy to combat domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence, which she had initially promised to publish in March, but said she wants to ensure the Government gets it right.

"Particularly after Ashling Murphy's death, I think it impacted everyone so we wanted to give people a chance to just have a final say."