Day Eight: Children need refuge space with their mothers

Posted on December 02, 2014 at 11:00 AM

In 2013, there were 2,052 admissions of women and 2,786 admissions of children to refuge in Ireland (Safe Ireland Statistics 2013).

However, on over 3,494 occasions, services were unable to accommodate women and their children because the refuge was full or there was no refuge in their area.

Studies of homelessness in Ireland continually cite domestic violence as a major reason for women and children becoming homeless in Ireland.

• In a 2011 survey of homeless women in Cork, one quarter (24%) of women first became homeless because of domestic violence. This figure rose to 37% for women aged 27-44.
• In 2003, 26% of women who presented as homeless to the Irish Homeless Persons Unit had become homeless as a result of domestic violence (Safe Home Sonas Model available here.)

According to the Council of Europe Minimum standards for support services, there should be a minimum of one refuge place (space to accommodate a woman and her children) per 10,000 people in the population of a country.

There should be 424 family refuge places in Ireland. In reality, there are 143.

These statistics are particularly stark against the backdrop of continuous funding cuts to domestic violence services and refuges. 

Click here to visit the Women's Aid website for helpful information on domestic violence and children and you can call our National Freephone Helpline on 1800 341 900 (10am to 10pm, 7 days).

Permanent link | Categories: Day Eight • 2nd December 2014 • 16 Facts for 16 Days