Pandemic leads to spike in child welfare reports from domestic violence refuges

The figures show that 178 referrals were made to Tusla from December 30 to February 10, up from 101 in the same period last year.

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a spike in child welfare and protection reports to Tusla from domestic violence refuges.

The Child and Family Agency received 76% more mandated reports from managers of the refuges in the first six weeks of this year compared with the same period in 2020, placing renewed focus on the surge in domestic violence during the pandemic.

The figures show that 178 referrals were made to Tusla from December 30 to February 10, up from 101 in the same period last year, and peaking with 52 referrals from managers of refuges in the week starting January 18.

The rise is even more marked given that the overall number of reports made to Tusla has actually fallen by 22% when comparing the two time periods.

"Whilst the numbers reflect a small number in relation to the overall referrals, there is a significant increase in this area when compared with 2020," said a Tusla spokesperson.

Safe Ireland, Women's Aid, and other support organisations have repeatedly warned about the growing risk of domestic violence during lockdown. 

Last month, it emerged that domestic violence cases are up by 12% year-on-year in both the Cork City and Cork North Garda divisions and by 26% in the Cork West area.

“The lockdown has caused difficult circumstances in some families," said Chief Superintendent Barry McPolin.

Having people confined to their homes can lead to increased stress.

"It’s one area [of crime] we are keeping a close eye on.” 

Nationwide, some 43,000 calls were made to gardaí to respond to domestic abuse last year, a 16% increase from 2019’s figures.

Kate Duggan, Tusla's national director of services and integration, voiced concern at the increase in reports from refuges, at a time when referrals overall have fallen due to the closure of schools and other services that have regular contact with children.

Her comments come as Tusla is seeking additional foster carers who can offer emergency placements for children who need them.

Tusla said it has been prioritising domestic violence services for additional supports since the onset of the pandemic, with an additional €2.7m increase in core funding to €28m, and an additional €2m in once-off contingency funding to help services cope with the ongoing effects of Covid-19.

"We have been aware of funding pressures within the domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence services sector, particularly in the context of Covid-19, with increased demand, increased costs, and a negative impact on these organisations’ ability to fundraise," said the organisation's spokesperson.

"We have engaged with these organisations over the past number of months to identify the additional measures required to ensure services could be maintained, or provided in new ways, in the context of the pandemic."

Other measures

Other measures have also been introduced to support those suffering from domestic violence, including an initial waiver on means testing for emergency rent supplement where cases are referred to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection by Tusla. Last month, the

Irish Examiner

reported that 41 people had availed of it since it was introduced last August.

At a recent conference organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Sarah Benson of Women’s Aid urged both the Government and employers to take positive action to implement domestic violence policies for public servants to support and reinforce a paid domestic violence leave which could be implemented in an effective and appropriate way.

Gardaí have stressed that the current travel restrictions do not apply in the case of domestic violence or to escape the risk of harm, whether to the person or to another person.