Council urged to allocate homes to Donegal Domestic Violence Services - Donegal News

DONEGAL County Council is being urged to set aside safe housing for victims of domestic violence.

A recent meeting of the council heard that vulnerable women accessing domestic violence services are staying with abusive partners because they have nowhere else to go.

Cllr Gerry McMonagle brought a motion to the July plenary meeting calling on the council to engage with Donegal Domestic Violence Services (DDVS).

He further asked the council to consider making “at least one home from each of the housing projects we are currently building” available to DDVS.

“Domestic violence, unfortunately, is on the rise and the pressure on the service is very extreme,” said the Sinn Féin councillor.

“One of the biggest pressures they have is accommodation for victims of domestic violence and their families.”

He added: “I can assure you from speaking to them and the demand that’s on them, that whatever the homes that we can make available to them, they would be utilised.”

Cllr Dakota Nic Mheanman, also of Sinn Féin, seconded the motion.

She said: “In recent weeks, we’ve seen women that have been killed, and we’re only in July of this year and we’ve already passed how many women were killed last year.

“Last year it was seven women, this year it is eight already. What we see from the facts is that women are often killed by people that are known to them. Usually, that is quite often an ex-partner, in a lot of the cases.

Cllr Nic Mheanman added: “People often ask why women still stay with their partner that is abusing them and it is because they have nowhere to go.

“If we were able to make this available, I think this would be a really positive step forward for women that are suffering in particular.”

Director of Housing, MD Services and Capital Projects, Anne Marie Conlon responded: “Donegal County Council fully acknowledges the vital services and supports provided by Donegal Domestic Violence Service.

“We recognise the need for safe, secure, and suitable accommodation for victims of domestic violence and for their families across the county.

“The Council’s Housing Directorate maintains a close working relationship with DDVS to ensure that emergency cases are prioritised through existing social housing assessment and allocation procedures.

“We are fully aligned with the spirit of the motion and we will continue to engage with the DDVS and to look at the needs of their clients in accordance with their household demographics, their preferred locations and ensuring that they are next to their support networks and the schools and support services they require.”

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