Domestic violence support 'at breaking point'
Support services for victims of domestic and sexual violence are at breaking point due to a severe lack of funding, it was warned today.
Dozens of refuges and rape crisis help centres have gathered together to call on the Government to urgently address the growing problem as services face huge cutbacks.
Sharon O’Halloran of the National Network of Women’s Refuges and Support Services (NNWRSS) said the situation was almost at crisis point as there had been no overall increase in funding since 2002.
The network represents a large variety of organisations across the country - including two national helplines, 15 rape crisis centres, 38 refuges and domestic violence support services.
Ms O’Halloran warned: “Domestic violence services are at breaking point.
“Refuges continue to provide a vital service to women in desperate situations, however limited resources affects the capacity to meet the need.
“It is totally impossible for the inadequate funding of 2002 to sustain services with the increased running costs of 2005.”
The network said a one-off increase of €7m was necessary to redress the neglect over the last few years.
The Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) said the so-called give-away budget had failed victims of sexual and domestic violence.
Fiona Neary of the centre said the poor nature of funding for the sector made it difficult to take politicians’ claims of concern seriously.
“We strongly urge the Government to make provision for the omission over the last three years in the upcoming Finance Bill.”
However, Margaret Martin, director of Women’s Aid, warned it was already too late for some organisations.
Ms Martin said that some services dedicated to helping women affected by violence have already been forced to cut back.
“Despite an increase in the number of calls responded to by the Women’s Aid National Freephone Helpline in 2003, there was also a 52% increase in the number of calls that could not be answered,” she said.
“We desperately need an increase in funding to answer all these calls.”
Figures from 14 of the 18 Women’s Refuges in Ireland showed that during 2003 - one out of five women were refused accommodation due to a lack of room.
