‘Reverse domestic violence funds cuts’

One in five Irish women are victims of domestic violence and 209 have been murdered in those circumstances since 1996, according to Women’s Aid, the national agency supporting women and children affected by domestic violence.

Launching its manifesto yesterday for the forthcoming general election, the organisation said serious action on domestic violence is needed. At an open meeting in Dublin with TDs, senators, and political parties, it called for the reversal of funding cuts to domestic violence services, legal reform, and improved responses from State agencies.

Speaking before the launch, Margaret Martin, the director of Women’s Aid, said: “Domestic violence is a serious crime, one that can result in stress, short and long-term trauma and physical injuries and, in extreme cases, homicide. One in five women in Ireland are affected by domestic violence and in 2014 Women’s Aid heard over 16,000 disclosure of abuse against women and over 5,700 disclosures of abuse against children.