Core Grant funding cut will impact Women’s Aid

A potential cut to Women’s Aid NI as part of core grant funding, would “fly in the face of efforts to tackle violence against women”, according to Foyle MLA Sinéad McLaughlin (MLA).

Speaking to Derry Now, Ms McLaughlin said she had written to the Department of Health regarding the cut to Core Grant Funding, which would impact a number of organisations including Women’s Aid NI.

Women’s Aid NI is the lead voluntary organisation in the North addressing domestic abuse and providing services for women and children.

From January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022, there were almost 33,000 domestic abuse incidents in the North, including more than 3,000 in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area.

Ms McLaughlin added: “A cut to Women’s Aid NI would be simply indefensible, especially at a time when we are calling for a comprehensive Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy to be agreed and fully resourced.

"This cut flies in the face of efforts to ensure that this heinous crime is tackled at every level and cannot be allowed to proceed. Far from cutting services, we already know that there is a crystal clear economic case for investment in tackling domestic abuse and that every pound of investment in support services in particular actually saves nine pounds to the public purse.

"I find it totally unjustifiable that in the desire to punish the DUP for their boycott of Stormont, organisations like Women’s Aid NI are becoming collateral damage despite the literally lifesaving work they do each and every day in our community.

"I have already written to the Department of Health on this matter and intend to continue raising it until this damaging decision is reversed.”