The government is providing funding for a newly established refuge worth €6.5 million for victims of domestic abuse and their children, set to launch in Wexford this Thursday. The refuge crafted by the Wexford Women’s Refuge in association with the Wexford County Council houses 12 family units and is the first to be completed in a series of 18 across various priority locales, as part of the government’s initiative to double domestic abuse shelters across the nation.
This new site, which has been provided financial backing by the Capital Assistance Fund and Cuan, a fresh government institution battling domestic, sexual, and gender-centred violence, is located in close proximity to the Wexford Rape Crisis Centre, ensuring comprehensive support services are available to those taking refuge.
Its main aim is to offer a respite and refuge accommodation for victims and their loved ones, whilst also catering to a range of auxiliary services in its contemporary surroundings. These include a therapeutic area, family room, and a communal space, and will function additionally as a community hub initiating outreach activities to assist families in need within the local area.
Each unit within the facility comprises a bedroom, kitchenette and lounge, with a bathroom, and is designed to house a family consisting of a mother and children. The building also includes an easily accessible disability suite. It supersedes a previous inadequately suitable four-unit shelter in the town, raising the capacity of refuge allotments in the area by threefold.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee articulated the significance of the refuge in meeting the target of the government’s zero tolerance plan, which aims to increase safe spaces for victims to 280 nationally. State Minister James Browne echoed her sentiments, suggesting the refuge will serve as a sanctuary, offering multiple support services to aid victims through their trauma and guide the journey of their recovery from domestic violence.
“In the third national strategy, Wexford is the inaugural sanctuary to be finished, however it certainly won’t be the concluding one,” he declared. Mr Browne proceeded to discuss how numerous schemes are currently under way and anticipated to begin edifice within the coming year. Moreover, they have intentions for additional ones in zones notably needing such facilities across the nation.
Dr Stephanie O’Keeffe, the leading executive of Cuan, commended the inauguration of the sanctuary, labelling it an ‘extraordinarily proud landmark’ and ‘an outstanding indication that the augmentation of refuges for victims of domestic abuse in the State is continuing at a steady pace’. Cuan was established in January as part of the Government’s strategy centred around tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.”