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Tag: Focus Ireland

  • Focus Ireland study shows link between homelessness and domestic violence

    Focus Ireland study shows link between homelessness and domestic violence

    By James Hagan

    Reports between 2018 and 2020 have shown that domestic violence in Ireland has increased significantly since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, with new data linking this increase with rising homeless rates. 

    Focus Ireland released a new report this month which ties the increase in homelessness with the rise of domestic violence in Ireland. 

    The study outlines flaws in current infrastructure for homeless families in Ireland, highlighting how women and female one-parent homeless families are often incorrectly represented in homeless research and aid. 

    One example was that women living in emergency domestic violence services are not counted as homeless in most European countries, including Ireland, which potentially has a significant impact when counting individuals in need of urgent aid. 

    Contributors to the study said that victims of domestic violence – whether they be with or without children – leave their abuser’s house, and will then require a house to accommodate themselves, without the financial means they had when living with the abuser.

    (Above) The Focus Ireland report shows the rate of families, not individuals, homeless between 2015 to 2021. 65% of homeless single parent households were headed by women in a 2017 study. 

    Local authorities interviewed for the study claimed that domestic violence was a direct cause for many cases of homelessness in Ireland. 

    Anne Clarke, manager 

    Women’s Aid, an Irish organisation working to end domestic abuse against women and children since 1974, have been outspoken about the rise of domestic violence in Ireland in recent years. 

    Their 2020 report found:

    • 29,717 contacts with Women’s Aid
    • 26,400 via the Women’s Aid 24hr National Freephone Helpline
    • 290,586 visits to womensaid.ie
    • 30,841 total disclosures of abuse – graphed below

    (Caption) Graph made by The City.ie

    Safe Ireland, another organisation seeking to end violence towards women and children, reported 53,627 helpline calls were answered by domestic violence services in Ireland in 2018. 10,782 of these women were accommodated and/or received support from a domestic violence service, along with 2,572 children (via womensaid.ie).

    More findings from previous reports includes: 

    • Safe Ireland reported last year that within the first 6 months of the Covid-19 pandemic, 3,500 women and 600 children contacted a domestic violence service, equating to 19 women and 3 children a day
    • Women’s Aid reported 148 women had been abused while pregnant in 2020, with 28 having a miscarriage as a result
    • Women’s Aid had a 43% increase in being contacted in 2020 from 2019
    • Gardaí received 43,500 calls regarding domestic violence in 2020, a 17% increase on 2019.

    In a study carried out by Safe Ireland and NUI Galway, 76% of women subject to coercive control were subject to financial abuse. This occurred when an abusive partner exerted complete control over finances, leaving victims dependent on the abuser to avoid poverty. 

    Minister for Justice Helen McEntee announced €445,000 for 18 organisations nationwide, primarily in aid of victims and survivors of domestic abuse. Additional funds were also allocated in Budget 2022 for victims of crime and for combating domestic, sexual and gender-based crime. 

    RTÉ News reported that Minister McEntee said that tackling these issues was a priority for her and the government. 

    Women’s Aid, Safe Ireland, and more services are available below to find help if you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse, along with Women’s Aid guide on how to view domestic violence aid sites safely.

    Women’s Aid guide to safe browsing: https://www.womensaid.ie/help/digitalabuse/browsing.html

    Women’s Aid: https://www.womensaid.ie/

    Men’s Aid: https://www.mensaid.ie/

    Safe Ireland: https://www.safeireland.ie/

    Dublin Rape Crisis Centre: https://www.drcc.ie/

    Focus Ireland: https://www.focusireland.ie/

    Picture for thumbnail – (source – Focus Ireland) 

  • Focus Ireland launch charity events to help tackle homeless crisis

    Focus Ireland launch charity events to help tackle homeless crisis

    As it stands, up to 5,000 people in Ireland don’t have somewhere to call their home this Christmas, with families sleeping rough, living in emergency shelter or temporary accommodation.

    In 2014, Focus Ireland, the country’s leading charity that works with homeless people, found themselves supporting over 11,000 men, women and children.

    Speaking to The City, Rebecca Reynolds of Focus Ireland said:

    “We have a new type of homelessness, which is coming from a result of economic difficulties.We’re trying our best to meet demands for our services, but demand on us has increased in some places by over 40% in the last few years.

    “Fundraising is so necessary to ensure that we can provide these services that people are looking for and that people need,” she added.

    This year, the charity is doing as much possible to continue their service, organising a whole host of bucket collections and events around the country.

    “We have several collections organised for December,” said Rebecca.

    The charity had a huge collection in the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre on Wednesday the 9th of December, with another bucket collection arranged for Friday December 18th in Dundrum Shopping Centre.

    Meanwhile, the charity are aiming to raise slightly more money with a bigger event in Waterford.

    Focus Ireland have arranged for a charity concert, also on Friday December 18th, in Waterford’s Christchurch Cathedral, with tickets priced at €15.

    Musicians playing at the show include Ashley Loftus from The Voice, Dermot Doyle and The Trinity Gospel Choir.

    Speaking about the upcoming events, Rebecca said, “We’re hoping to raise a lot of money. People are very willing to give their time when it comes to a charity event.

    “The money raised goes into funding for services all around the country, and then it goes to where it’s most needed.”

    Donations for the charity can be made at any of the organized collections, or simply through their website www.focusireland.ie.