LIMERICK needs more refuge space for those who need to flee the threat of domestic violence.
That was the call from Sinn Féin TD Maurice Quinlivan following a Department of Justice report which showed that Limerick has the highest level of domestic violence reports per capita in the country.
Figures from the Department of Justice, based on Garda PULSE information for 2023, show Limerick had the highest rate of reported incidents last year with 123.3 cases of domestic violence reported per 10,000 population.
The Sinn Féin TD made his comments following a response to a parliamentary question he submitted, which confirmed that only one domestic violence refuge accommodation centre has been established in Limerick since 2020.
Adapt House in Limerick City is the largest refuge in the country and staff say that it is becoming busier all the time.
Deputy Quinlivan said that he was “very disappointed to see that there has been only one additional refuge space created since 2020”.
“The issue of domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence continues to be a pressing issue in many households and continues to impact so many people, in particular women, in our society.
“It is important to have such refuges available to those who feel threatened within their own household. While the existing accommodation centres do important work, I would like to see more accommodation centres available to those who need to flee, often with little notice, from their home.”
Deputy Quinlivan called for the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual, and Gender-based Violence to be fully resourced and for the government to take immediate steps to solve the deficit in the provision of shelters with nine counties still having no shelter at all.
“Such gender violence is an everyday occurrence. It is an issue that can impact any woman from any and every socio-economic group in the country. The toleration of everyday sexism, harassment, and misogyny that is present in every aspect of Irish life must be countered,” he said.
The Sinn Féin TD added that “domestic abuse service providers in Limerick have been underfunded for decades. Strategy and investment must turn the tide to ensure women and children fleeing domestic violence have access to refuge and to the wrap-around support they need.”
“If we are to end the epidemic of domestic abuse in Ireland, we need a whole of society response that both supports and protects women.”
