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Government To Establish New Agency To Tackle Gender-Based Violence

Tuesday, 15 February 2022 13:45

An organisation running women's refuges has to turn away 70 per cent of requests.

An organisation running women's refuges says they have to turn away 70 per cent of requests for help.

The government is planning to set up a new agency to oversee the response to sexual, domestic and gender-based violence.

Following the murder of Ashling Murphy in Tullamore last month, the government promised its gender-based violence strategy would have a zero-tolerance approach.

Part of the plan will be a new agency which will co-ordinate the delivery of services to victims, offer support and make sure government departments are working together.

Marie Mulholland is manager of the West Cork women against violence project:

A report by Tusla has highlighted gaps in the availability of refuge spaces in parts of the country.

Allison Graham is CEO of Saoirse - which runs a number of refuges in Dublin - and says demand has been outpacing supply, even before Covid:

It's expected to be at least a year and a half before the new agency is fully up and running.

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