Room at the inn for women seeking refuge

One of the country’s largest women’s refuges yesterday said it had to turn away only one woman on Christmas Day, but warned that January is usually the month when there is a rush for services.

Viva House in Blanchardstown, Dublin, which is operated by Sonas, was full on Christmas Day, with all eight of its self-contained apartments occupied by women and their children seeking safety from violent domestic situations.

However, a spokeswoman for Viva House said that while typically a number of women would be turned away on any given day, on Christmas Day just one woman was told there was no room.