‘Safe houses’ to open in Offaly by early next year

Three “safe houses” for victims of domestic violence in Offaly are expected to be up and running by March of next year, according to the Manager of the Offaly Domestic Violence Support Service (ODVSS).

Anne Clarke says negotiations are at “an advanced stage” with Offaly County Council on the provision of 'safe houses’ in each of the three municipal districts of Birr, Edenderry and Tullamore.

Two of the properties have reached “sale agreed status” while the third house is expected to be acquired by the local authority in the coming weeks. While the provision of three ‘safe houses’ has been described as “a positive step forward” by Anne Clarke, she acknowledges that it goes “nowhere near addressing the huge need” for refuge spaces across the county for victims of domestic violence and their families.

“Each unit will only be able to accommodate one family” she points out, adding that the ODVSS has seen “a huge increase” in demand for refuge spaces this year alone.

“We are seeing quite horrendous levels of abuse and coercive control being levelled at our clients, particularly in post-separation cases, so the need for safe refuge spaces has never been greater” says Anne Clarke.

ODVSS, which was set up by a group of volunteers in October 1997, appointed a new outreach project worker in August, who will be responsible for managing the three safe houses when they are established.

Anne Clarke says the service is also liaising closely with a working group which has been set up to examine the setting up of a dedicated refuge centre in Offaly.

“As things currently stand, 25 years on from when our service was first set up, we have absolutely nowhere within our county to send any of our clients, either male or female, who are in urgent need of refuge,” she says.

Despite the fact that Offaly has been earmarked as one of the counties in need of a dedicated refuge centre, the ODVSS Manager estimates that it will be “at least three years” before such a facility comes on stream.

To mark its 25th anniversary, ODVSS hosted a major conference in Tullamore last week with the theme of 'What we know now, and how we can shape the future'. The conference included a video address by Justice Minister, Helen McEntee, and was also addressed by a number of keynote speakers and experts in the field of domestic violence.