Funding of €8.9m approved for new women's refuge
Plans for a new 12-unit women's refuge for Meath have been given a major boost with news that €8.9m in funding has been approved for the project.
Meath Women's Refuge and Support Services has welcomed news that it has been approved for a Capital Assistance Scheme Stage 2 grant of €8.9m by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage which will fund the construction of a new purpose built 12-unit accommodation refuge in Navan, as well as a designated children’s playroom, counselling rooms, offices and an outdoor area.
Meath Women’s Refuge & Support Services, with the support of Meath County Council, the Department of Housing, the Housing Agency and Cuan will now be able to increase capacity of its refuge services in Meath from 8 to 12 units and move to the next stage and construction in 2025.
Meath is one of priority locations identified for domestic violence refuge development as part of the government’s work under Zero Tolerance, the Third National Strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, to double the number of refuge units.
Welcoming the news, Chairperson of the board, Sinead Gogan, said: “This is a momentous day for Meath Women’s refuge & Support Services and the women and children we work with. Over 30 years ago a group of inspirational women came together to found the refuge and we are proud to be able to build on their legacy with this new phase of development. We urgently need a new modern space to provide the quality and accessibility of services that women and children fleeing violence deserve.
"The plans for the new refuge building have been underway for many years and trojan work has been done behind the scenes to drive this forward. I want to acknowledge the commitment of our amazing staff team, our former CEO, Sinead Smith, our voluntary board of directors, Meath County Council and the new team at Cuan, under the leadership of Minister Helen McEntee who have helped bring us to where we are today.”
Frances Haworth, CEO, Meath Women’s Refuge & Support Services added: “The investment in this new purpose built 12-unit refuge facility is a recognition of the high levels of domestic violence still in our society. Last year we provided refuge for 185 women and children and answered 1,122 calls to our helpline – and many more families were unable to be accommodated due to a lack of space. This new building will provide a comfortable and safe environment for families and help Meath Women’s Refuge & Support expand our services, while continuing our work towards prevention of future violence and zero tolerance in society. I want to thank the community in Meath who provide such staunch support and have helped in so many ways over the years through fundraising, volunteering and starting conversations.”