65,000 reported domestic violence incidents in 2024
Women’s Aid urged the incoming government to accelerate efforts to deal with the 'scourge' of domestic violence.
Domestic violence incidents reported to gardaí have jumped by more than 20% in the last two years to just over 65,000 cases in 2024, garda figures show.
It translates to an average of 1,250 recorded incidents every week last year.
Women’s Aid described the statistics as “appalling” and urged the incoming government to accelerate efforts to deal with the “scourge”.
New statistics show a steady and significant rise — on average 10% per year — in domestic violence incidents reported to gardaí:
- 65,114 incidents in 2024 — an increase of 5,489 (+9%);
- 59,625 cases in 2023 — a rise of 5,850 (11%);
- 53,775 incidents in 2022 — up 4,462 (9%);
- 49,313 cases in 2021
The Programme for Government said there was an “epidemic” of domestic and sexual violence in the country and that tackling it remained a major priority, involving full implementation of national “zero tolerance” strategies.
Sarah Benson, CEO of Women’s Aid, said: “Yet another year of increased domestic abuse related calls to the gardai are mirrored by similar increases in demand for specialist support services. Domestic and sexual abuse touches every family and community in this country.
She added: “These appalling numbers are a stark reminder to our incoming government that momentum and investment must not pause but instead accelerate in our efforts to prevent and combat this scourge that ruins so many lives.”
Women’s Aid annual report for 2023, published last June, documented 40,048 disclosures of abuse against women and children that year, an 18% increase on the previous year.
The abuse of women included emotional abuse, physical violence, sexual abuse, and economic control.
Women's Aid said there was also an "alarming increase" in both physical violence (up 74%) and economic abuse (up 87%) compared to the previous year.
Men’s Aid last year said they had seen a 57% increase in demand for their services in 2023, compared to 2020.
The Programme for Government said that they would progress updates to the school curriculum on domestic and sexual violence.
The programme promises at least 280 refuge spaces by 2026 and a review of the laws around breaches of domestic violence orders.
It said the Government will work with gardaí to ensure a person in an intimate relationship can be informed of a serious risk to them where a new partner has a history of domestic violence.
