Survey on 'night economy' highlights increasing safety concerns for women

The strategy called for the creation of 'safe spaces' in key night-time areas for visitors and residents, partnership with gardaí to improve overall safety and security and collaboration with the council to identify 'safe waiting spaces' for late-night transport hubs. File photo: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

Women’s organisations have said that “urgent action” is needed to make women feel safe at night in Dublin if the capital’s night-time economy is to be extended.

Alcohol awareness groups have raised serious concerns at the increased sale of alcohol, saying that it is “a significant driver of violence” on the street and of gender-based assaults.

Such violence has been highlighted as an issue in Cork as well where a recent meeting of Cork City Council heard parts of the city branded as "no-go areas".

The warnings from women's organisations follow the publication of the Dublin City Night-Time Economy Strategy. The Government’s Sale of Alcohol Bill, which is yet to be brought before the Oireachtas, contains provisions for late-night opening of bars until 2.30am and nightclubs until 6am.

The night-time strategy said a Dublin City Council survey in late 2023, called Your Dublin, Your Voice, found that 47% of respondents felt unsafe in Dublin at night, a “substantial increase” from 21% in 2020. The feeling was more pronounced for females (50%), compared to males (43%).

“These statistics underscore the urgent need to address public safety in Dublin’s night-time economy,” the report said.

The strategy called for the creation of “safe spaces” in key night-time areas for visitors and residents, partnership with gardaí to improve overall safety and security and collaboration with the council to identify “safe waiting spaces” for late-night transport hubs.

A separate report by the Dublin City Taskforce, set up by the Taoiseach, published just over a week ago called for an additional 1,000 gardaí in the city centre, to be phased in over the next three years. It did not state how this would be done.

The National Women’s Council said the Your Dublin, Your Voice survey shows that women feel less safe at night.

NWC’s Violence against Women Co-ordinator Ivanna Youtchak:

This significantly impacts women’s freedom and their willingness to engage in night-time activities.

“It is therefore imperative that we take urgent action to ensure women can feel safe, either as workers, particularly those in low paid jobs who cannot afford a taxi travel home and rely on buses that are often scarce after midnight, or simply to ‘enjoy a night out’.” 

She said the strategy set out important recommendations in this regard, but said they must be combined with the full implementation of the Government’s Zero Tolerance Strategy on violence against women.

Alcohol Action Ireland said there is much in the strategy pointing to safety concerns in the city centre.

“We already know that alcohol is a significant driver of violence on the street and of gender-based assaults," AAI CEO Sheila Gilheany said. 

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"Hence it is concerning to still see reference to increasing licensing hours. This should also be looked at from the perspective of those working at night and their safety.” 

She said, in Belfast, where licensing hours were increased in 2021, some pub owners were not staying open later because of concerns about their staff.

Ms Gilheany said: “At the very least there is a need for a Health Impact Assessment on such proposals to examine this in detail in terms of impacts on services such as policing, transport and Emergency Departments.”