Budget 2022 Neglects Promises of Support for Victims of Domestic Abuse

Many commitments were made by government to remedy the epidemic of domestic violence in Ireland, however, Budget 2022’s has left many feeling that it is not one of its priorities.

While domestic violence has always been an issue the public has been aware of, the Covid-19 pandemic has put focus on the issue. Edel Hackett, a representative of Safe Ireland, highlights that domestic abuse has always been present, but the strenuous conditions of the resultant lockdown, initiated by government, may have exacerbated the issue.

In February 2021, Safe Ireland published ‘A report on women and children seeking support from Domestic Violence Services September 2020 – December 2020’. It showed a concerning trend of an increased number of women accessing domestic violence services in November 2020, and a marked decrease of 14% of women receiving support in December 2020. Even more startling, between September and December 2020, 2445 women and 496 children accessed these services for the first time.

Figures such as these elicited a welcomed response. The Gardai initiated Operation Faoiseamh, which sought to protect and reach out to victims of domestic violence. Government also set aside additional resources to combat domestic violence. However, Budget 2022 failed to invest in critical domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) response measures.

A particular area of neglect is any explicit commitment for emergency, transitional, or long-term accommodation and housing for women fleeing violence. In a press conference today, Edel Hackett was complimentary of the government’s initial response and its recognition of the epidemic of domestic violence, but later voiced her dismay at the lack of support provided by Budget 2022.

Hackett stated, “There were huge commitments given to this as an issue in 2020 … but this year, it is as if this as an issue just fell off the shelf”.

There are a total of 21 refuges in Ireland, with 104 communal and/or independent units capable of accommodating families. Hackett highlights the discrepancy in accommodation available to victims of domestic abuse when compared to the numbers recommended by the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention on Violence Against Women.

The Istanbul Convention recommends 1 accommodation unit for a population of 10,000. According to the recommendation made by the convention, Ireland should have at least 500 communal and/or accommodation units available to victims. However, with only 104 units available, Ireland provides barely one third of the recommended accommodation.

Another concerning figure cited, is the complete absence of refuges available in 9 counties in Ireland, creating what Hackett describes as a “black hole” for victims of domestic abuse. Victims in these counties have no nearby refuges available to them in their time of need.

Despite the lack of support laid out for DSGBV in the Budget, others have stepped in to provide support for victims of domestic abuse.

On the 8th of September, Safe Ireland and Airbnb announced the launch of the ‘Safe Ireland Survivor Fund’ for domestic violence survivors, refuges, and support centres in Ireland. Backed by a €350,000 donation from Airbnb, the fund aims to provide grants to women and children who are escaping abuse.

While this will provide some relief to victims, it is hoped that government will step up and provide the resources needed to provide more substantial support to combat the epidemic of domestic violence in Ireland.