Women in Clare are said to be competing for Garda resources when attempting to flee domestic abuse.
Additional refuge spaces, an increase in Garda numbers and better training are among the demands being made in this county amid reports of domestic violence hitting an all-time high nationwide.
Over the course of nine years, reported domestic abuse incidents in the Clare/Tipperary Garda Division have tripled from 719 in 2014 to 2,423 in 2023.
Despite the prevalence of the problem here, as well as calls for more resources, Clare’s only domestic abuse charity, Clare Haven, has just six family emergency housing units at its disposal.
The issue is one of the reasons behind the establishment of ‘Safer Clare’ in February of this year; an Aontú-led initiative aimed at making the county a safer place to live.
Clare’s Garda numbers dropped by 7% between 2019 and 2024, and Safer Clare Chairperson June Dillon, who’s Clare’s Aontú representative, has told Clare FM’s Morning Focus this is making escaping domestic abuse more challenging.
The latest Women’s Aid Annual Report, meanwhile, reveals the charity received its highest-ever level of contacts in relation to domestic abuse last year.
Of the 41,432 disclosures made, over 5,000 were concerning the abuse of children, while a third of women who approached the service were abused by their ex-partners.
Clare-based abuse survivor, Louise Bailey claims women who don’t have children are at a disadvantage when it comes to seeking help.
Listen to the full interview here
