There are calls for a dedicated staff officer in Tipperary to deal with housing applications for domestic violence victims.
Councillor Annemarie Ryan (Shiner) tabled to motion saying that he housing section is very busy and that this is necessary to ensure that these applicants are quickly dealt with and offered safety.
The council responded to the request stressing that they consider that victims of DV do receive the required care within the existing system.
However, Councillor Ryan believes there needs to be an officer because there are so many subsections within the housing sector it can be confusing.
She says that often when applying for housing assistance victims are passed from person to person and have to continuously tell their story to each, which can be hugely traumatic.
She would like to see the a current staff member assigned such a role.
“If you can talk to one person and not have to talk to two or three people and repeating your story, or if me as a councillor or any other of the councillors would be assisting them that we can go to that person and say this is the situation we’ll get the different bits of information.”
” We’re not asking the person to relive the trauma.”
