Properties needed for domestic violence survivors

By Eimear O’ Dwyer

THE West Cork Women Against Violence (WCWAV) project is urgently seeking property in West Cork – whether for sale, empty, or derelict – for domestic refuge spaces.

Marie Mulholland, WCWAV coordinator, said that the group is in critical need of such spaces for five families who have suffered domestic violence.

‘I am looking for a premises or site which we could develop for five independent units,’ she told The Southern Star.

Last year Minister for Justice Helen McEntee put in place the Zero Tolerance Strategy, a five-year programme to reform domestic and sexual violence services nationally.

Part of that strategy is the ‘much longed for’ and ‘much needed’ priority to provide more refuge spaces, said Ms Mulholland. 

She explained that the strategy identified first-priority regions based on Tusla’s accommodation review.

This study revealed that West Cork has a deficit of emergency accommodation for women and children suffering domestic violence.

‘According to the review, we would need five spaces for five families in West Cork,’ Ms Mulholland noted.

WCWAV requires a property to convert or build five individual buildings for families, or five apartments in a complex, between 4,000 and 5,000 sq ft in total.

‘The idea is to provide women and children who are suffering from trauma and who are trying to escape violence with a bit of privacy and dignity,’ she said.

The location needs to be close to amenities and a reliable bus service.

‘We need a location that has ready access to shops, schools and bus routes,’ she added.

Rather than a brownfield site which may need planning, she is looking for an existing structure, with a deadline of a year.

According to the group’s 2022 annual report, WCWAV dealt with 255 clients and made 2,702 contacts, including phone calls, emails, Facebook messages and website contacts.

• Anybody with a suitable property can contact WCWAV by phone on 027 53847 or email [email protected]