Over 260 people sign petition calling for Carlow women's refuge as 'crisis out of control'
'We won't stop until it's delivered...'
Over 260 people have signed a petition calling for a Carlow women's refuge as campaigners describe how the "crisis is out of control".
Angie Lordan, who is involved with the Carlow Women's Refuge Campaign, said "this has been on-going for a number of years now, and although we welcome the Council officials and our elected reps support we now need to see action on this".
She added: "This crisis is out of control, every week more and more are being made homeless. The rise in rents and the huge amount of vacant properties needs to be tackled but right now we need to respond to the emergency.
"We need a women's refuge urgently - we can't continue to allow women and children to be forced onto the streets of Dublin to beg or to stay in homes where there's violence."
Adrienne Wallace, one of the organisers of the protest and a local election candidate for People Before Profie, added: "The Tulsa Report which claimed Carlow does not need a refuge needs to be publicised.
"We have every right to review that and judge its merit.
"The report released by Dr Brendan O'Keeffe before Christmas was unbiased in its approach and the result was a damning critic on the lack of support services for women and children experiencing homelessness and domestic violence."
Ms Wallace added: "We have collected hundreds of petition signatures both on the street and online - the people of Carlow know this is needed and we won't stop until it is delivered."