555 Women, 324 children in domestic violence services on “Just Another Day”

Safe Ireland’s one-day census for November 4th 2010 showed that 555 women and 324 children were accommodated or received support from a domestic violence service in just one day.

When broken down, this means that 23 women and 13 children – or 36 people in total – looked for support every hour of that day.

Called “And Just Another Day”, Safe Ireland’s third annual census for the same date revealed that 108 women were accommodated in refuge, 98 women were in transitional housing and the remaining 349 women accessed a range of one-to-one or group support services. Eighteen women could not be accommodated in refuge because there was not enough space. 140 called a helpline.

The census formed the introduction to “Now You’re Talking”, the first of a series of national conversations on domestic violence with the presidential candidates, chaired by RTE presenter Miriam O’Callaghan. Candidates presented their vision for a safer Ireland for women and children.

Sharon O’Halloran, Director of Safe Ireland, said there had to be leadership and a complete systems overhaul so that the needs of women and children were put centre-stage. At present, she said, women and children were feeling the brunt of statutory agency policies that were often about saving money over safety.

“We have to go beyond numbers, to acknowledge that each statistic represents a crime against a woman, a mother, an expectant mother, a toddler or a teenager, each living with fear, brutality and uncertainty in their own homes,” she said.

“The burden of the ongoing evidence about the enormity of domestic violence means that we must all act – quickly, with responsibility and unwaivering commitment. This action and commitment has to begin with those in leadership – our President and our politicians.”