Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 June 2026
165. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of persons who were unable to access emergency domestic violence accommodation due to capacity constraints in each of the past three years; and his views on plans to increase refuge capacity. [44275/26]
View answer170. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the amount of funding allocated to domestic violence refuge and support services in each of the past five years; the number of refuge spaces currently available; and the extent to which current provision meets national targets. [44274/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 165 and 170 together.
This Government has taken unprecedented actions to confront the scourge of domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence (DSGBV). This includes increasing funding to almost €80 million under Budget 2026, to support Cuan and services working to tackle DSGBV and the implementation of the Zero Tolerance Strategy. The increased funding for Cuan and community organisations that support victims and survivors will accelerate the delivery of safe accommodation, while also providing stronger supports for victims.
Cuan, established in 2024, is the statutory agency responsible for the coordination and implementation of the Government’s response to DSGBV and funds 78 DSGBV organisations nationally, including 20 domestic violence refuges. Cuan has provided the following levels of funding to organisations for the provision of DSGBV services, including refuges and support services as follows:
• €52.3m in 2024;
• €58.7m in 2025;
• the provisional allocation for 2026 is €69m.
Prior to the establishment of Cuan, data was not held on a directly comparable basis across the period in question due to changes in administrative and reporting structures in the area, including the consolidation of previously dispersed policy and funding functions that was distributed across a range of bodies including this Department and Tusla.
Cuan is collaborating with various stakeholders, including domestic violence services, Approved Housing Bodies, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Housing Agency and Local Authorities to facilitate local action and support service development and delivery of safe accommodation and ancillary services. Furthermore, Cuan aims to explore additional opportunities for developing DV accommodation, especially in areas where such facilities are currently lacking, while also considering interim refuges and alternative accommodation for those fleeing domestic violence.
At the start of the zero-tolerance strategy, there were 49 safe homes and 141 DV refuge units in place. By the end of 2026, the target is to increase this to 94 safe homes,193 refuge units, with an additional 50 units under construction. All refuges scheduled to open in 2026 are on track, including 12 units in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown expected to be operational in Q3 2026.
I am advised that Cuan does not collect data on the number of people who have sought refuge, the number of requests for safe accommodation refused, or the current occupancy rate of safe accommodation as this information is difficult for services to consistently validate and report. Occupancy levels fluctuate on a day-to-day basis, making real time collection and reporting challenging. In addition, many support services do not have the capacity to gather this information.
Through development of the National Service Development Plan (NSDP), Cuan is collaborating with services and stakeholders to strengthen data collection processes. An essential element to the NSDP is the establishment of robust monitoring structures for service delivery and outcomes. This monitoring process will identify critical areas for service and sector development.
