€2M TO BUILD NEW WOMEN’S REFUGE CONTINUED PAGE 36
‘WE’VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR THIS – IT’S FANTASTIC’
OVER €2 million has been secured to build 12 new apartments at the new Wexford Women’s Refuge in Maudlintown.
The cash windfall was confirmed yesterday (Monday) evening by Minister Paul Kehoe who said that the vital Wexford facility would receive in excess of €2.2 million.
The funds will be approved this week by the Department of Housing and will be administered by Wexford County Council.
Pauline Ennis, manager at the refuge said it was fantastic news. ‘It’s a great result and fantastic news for Wexford Women’s Refuge who support women and children who experience domestic violence.
‘It means we can provide 12 independent units for families plus additional support services such as court accompaniment, a drop-in information centre and ongoing advice. We’re absolutely delighted by the news. We’ve been fighting for it for so long.’
Minister Kehoe said the new apartments will ensure the centre can cater for a growing number of women and children that avail of the vital services provided.
Minister Kehoe said: ‘The services provided by Wexford’s Women Refuge are vital. We should never see a situation where women are turned away due to a lack of space and hopefully these new apartments will go some way to improving the services available.’
The new refuge will be built on a four-acre site beside St Mary’s GAA Club in Maudlintown, land gifted to the refuge by Wexford County Council last November to facilitate the construction of a larger premises to cater for the increasing number of women and children in needs of its services.
The refuge, which is currently based in Distillery Road, had launched a public campaign for a new building after being forced to turn away 245 women and 353 children in 2016 because it didn’t have enough accommodation for them.
The new building will replace the existing refuge in Distillery Road which is one of the smallest in Ireland with just four bedrooms for the entire county. The refuge also provides emergency accommodation for homeless women and outreach services.
Now that funding has been secured the refuge will have to apply for planning permission.