Planned Laois domestic abuse refuge to increase in size welcomed by TD Brian Stanley
Domestic abuse shelter planned in Laois will be larger than first planned, a plan welcomed by Laois TD Brian Stanley
The domestic abuse shelter being planned to aid Laois women and children escape abuse, is to be larger than first planned.
The shelter will be built in Portlaoise behind a heritage house that was bought for the purpose, by Laois County Council. Instead of eight units, it is now planned to have ten.
The rise in capacity was confirmed to the Leinster Express / Laois Live by Cuan, the state agency that is overseeing the project.
Laois Independent TD Brian Stanley queried the rise in size, in Dáil questions this week.
“He raised it during leaders Questions on the last day òf sitting and has since received a full response from the Minister and an update on the situation.
“The size is now to be increased from 8 units for families who are fleeing domestic abuse to10 and I welcome this as it is very important, because unfortunately the demand for these services continues to increase,” Deputy Stanley said.
“The Minister has also confirmed to me and the Government that work is underway to finalize agreements and memorandums of understanding with the Approved Housing Body that will actually provide the buildings. I look forward to this.
“This needs to be advanced quickly, and I will continue to keep this matter to the fore and keep raising it until we get this in place, because unfortunately Laois remains one of nine Counties without the service,” Dep Stanley said.
Cuan is working in partnership with Tuath housing agency and Laois Domestic Abuse Service, who will eventually move their office to the new premises.
“In Laois, the service provider leading the development of a domestic violence refuge is formalising partnership with an appointed Approved Housing Body (AHB) for the purpose of refuge development. All key stakeholders are working collaboratively to prepare the necessary information for the Single Approval Process. Once completed, the refuge development will provide 10 purpose build refuge units, significantly increasing the availability of safe, secure accommodation for those experiencing domestic violence,” the agency told the Leinster Express.
It went on to describe actions to tackle domestic violence by the state.
“The Government has taken unprecedented actions to confront the scourge of domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence (DSGBV). This includes increasing funding to almost €80 million under Budget 2026, to support Cuan and services working to tackle DSGBV and the implementation of the Zero Tolerance Strategy. The increased funding for Cuan and community organisations that support victims and survivors will accelerate the delivery of safe accommodation, while also providing stronger supports for victims.
“Cuan is collaborating with various stakeholders, including domestic violence services, Approved Housing Bodies, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Housing Agency and Local Authorities to facilitate local action and support service development and delivery of safe accommodation and ancillary services.
“While currently almost three quarters of the population in the State is within 30 minutes of a refuge location, Cuan is acutely aware of the need to improve on this and to ensure that services are accessible to everyone living in rural and urban areas. Achieving this, including through the completion of a National Services Development Plan, is a core objective of Cuan’s Corporate Plan 2025-2027, which was published at the end of last year,” a spokesperson for Cuan said.