Back: Deirdre McCarthy (Wexford Court Office), Thelma Blehein (Tusla Nat. DV Services), Insp. Pat Cody, Cheif Supt. John Roche, Angela Hore (Wexford Womens Refuge), Claire Williams (Wexford Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Service) and Jim Gibson (COO Tusla). Front: Greg Mullen (principal social worker), Marian O’Dowd (Barnados) and Vincent Daly (Tusla) pictured at the launch of the new domestic violence awareness initiative in Wexford courts. Pic: John Walsh

HAVING SURVIVED threats in recent years to the continued existence of the service, Wexford Women’s Refuge may be soon to move to a new location which will allow it to accommodate greater numbers of women and children in a more progressive and empowering model of individual units.

An application for funding has been submitted to government for a new property with eight individual units, in contrast to the four bedrooms the in-demand service currently has at its disposal in Wexford town.

Planning is still in early stages, but Pauline Ennis and team are hopeful that a response by way of a Government announcement is a not-too-distant prospect.

Some one-in-five women in Ireland will experience some form of domestic abuse throughout their lives.

A report issued recently by Women’s Aid, meanwhile, indicated that some 209 women have died in violent circumstances over the past two decades and 87 per cent of these were killed by a partner or man known to them.

A vital resource, Wexford Women’s Refuge assisted 736 individual women in 2015 yet is presently one of the smallest of its type in the country and the only one located in the county.

Sadly and quite simply, Pauline Ennis of the refuge said, the support service is currently “not able to accommodate the amount of women and children in the county looking for refuge.”

Emergency accommodation is available around-the-clock and, while the centre has just four bedrooms, staff work to make sure everyone who needs help receives it.

Some 67 women and 100 children were accommodated in the refuge throughout 2015.

While women and children previously typically stayed at the refuge for a period of about six to eight weeks, a shortage of available rental accommodation is now seeing them spend much longer periods of time there.

Pointing out that people were presently sleeping in tents in the county, Ms. Ennis said that the current accommodation situation was “obviously totally unacceptable” and “getting worse.”

With a new board in place in recent years and a new plan of action for the centre, Ms. Ennis and team are nonetheless in full flight attending to women and children experiencing domestic abuse and highlighting their plight.

A free 24-hour phoneline for those in need of support has been back in operation this year thanks to fundraising carried out by DoneDeal and can be contacted day or night on 1800 220 444.

An increased level of usage on previous years, however, indicates there is a need for greater resources in County Wexford for those who experience domestic violence and their families.

A new location, Angela Hore of the refuge said, would allow women and children to pick up the pieces and move on so they don’t have to become entangled in a cycle of returning to domestic violence and homelessness.

It would, she said, give women and children a chance to regain their confidence and once again become familiar with living freely.

A nationwide campaign launched recently by Tánaiste and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald calls on bystanders to play their part in helping women and children break free from domestic violence by intervening when they see it.

It is firmly supported by both Ms. Ennis and Ms. Hore.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Director of Women’s Aid, Margaret Martin, said that “the campaign is about action, but your action could be as simple as saying to someone ‘I’m concerned about you’ and listening to them and what they have to say’.

In terms of how people in County Wexford ought to respond in such a situation, Ms. Hore described how a person could call the refuge on 053 9121876 or freephone 1800 220 444 and the team would look at devising a safety plan for the woman.

“Quite often people don’t know what to do,” she said, adding “the important thing is to be able to point people in the right directions.”

Talking to the person affected, both women agreed, was usually the best thing to do.

In addition to the helpline and emergency accommodation, the refuge provide services including: court accompaniment, advocacy, free counselling by appointment, one-to-one support and information and educational programmes for women who have left domestic abusive relationships.

Crucially, Wexford Women’s Refuge will provide immediate services so those in need of help don’t need to wait around for weeks and months in order to receive it.

Those who avail of help in their hour of need typically thank staff for listening to them and for believing in them, perhaps as such support, respect and comfort has not been available for them at home.

As a leaflet for Wexford Women’s Refuge, which forms part of a new collection of literature at Wexford Courthouse, Ardcavan, impactfully reads:

‘Abuse is not just about having broken bones, bruises or black eyes.

‘It also includes being told what to do, what to wear, who to see, being put down and being made to be sexual against your will’.

Those who experience domestic abuse are advised that it should not be accepted, that they are not responsible for their abuser’s behaviour, that they deserve to be treated with respect and, crucially, that help is available.

Read more in the Wexford Echo.