Public meeting on the fight for local refuge in Carlow
There was a total of 33,831 disclosures of domestic violence, including coercive control, made to Women's Aid last year, according to its latest annual report.
The organisation has said that systems responsible for protecting victims of domestic violence are under extreme pressure and that the Government needs to act urgently to increase the safety of vulnerable women and children.
In the first 9 months of 2021 over 500 incidents of Domestic Violence were reported to Gardaí in Carlow/Kilkenny.
Campaigners for a women’s refuge in Carlow have organised a public meeting to help keep up the pressure for more services locally. The meeting takes place on Monday July 4 in the Seven Oaks Hotel at 7pm.
Speakers include Ailbhe Smith, Orla O’Connor from the National Women’s Council and local activists Megan Berry and Geraldine O’Neill. It will be chaired by Cllr Adrienne Wallace.
Spokeswoman Ger O’Neill said:
“After thousands gathered at Vigils in the aftermath of Aisling Murphy’s murder the Government made a dramatic shift and finally announced plans for more refuge spaces.
“However, they later missed their own deadline to publish a report with timelines on the delivery of these spaces. We have to keep the pressure on the streets to push our politicians into action. This is a crisis and we need a response that meets that level of urgency.”
Ms. O’Neill added:
“We have a fantastic line up of speakers for the event on Monday July 4.
“Ailbhe Smith was recently awarded the Freedom of the City in Dublin for her life-long activism on women’s rights. The National Women’s Council have invaluable insight on the supports women need and we will also be discussing the inter-section of racism and sexism that Traveller women face.
“The community in Carlow have given unwavering support to the fight for a women’s refuge so we are expecting a jam-packed
evening.”