Protest highlights the need for safe shelters for women and children fleeing domestic violence.
A demonstration by staff and supporters from women's refuge centres protest at Dáil Éireann to highlight the lack of services for those fleeing domestic violence.
There are currently nine refuges for women in the Republic of Ireland. These shelters are funded almost entirely by donations and occasional government grants. They provided accommodation for seven hundred families last year, but every year hundreds of women are refused access, because there is no room for them. There are simply not enough refuges throughout the country,
Women and children fleeing the family home because domestic violence or the threat of it are often unable to get to a refuge.
At a press conference following the protest the organisers said an inordinate amount of their time is spent applying to health boards or government for small grants instead of focusing on the women in their care.
Annette Honan says that the current provision is only capable of dealing with a very small number of families. Refuge services need to be expanded throughout the country and improved so that,
When women leave, they get the support they need out in the community.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 18 November 1993. The reporter is Shane McElhatton.
