Gardaí receive over 3,000 domestic abuse calls in Tipperary and Clare in 2024

MEP Kathleen Funchion is calling for more government resources to be allocated to tackling the issue

Sinn Féin MEP for Ireland South, Kathleen Funchion, has urged the government to allocate greater resources to domestic and gender-based violence services, following a parliamentary response revealing a further increase in domestic abuse calls (3,035) to An Garda Síochána in the Clare/Tipperary area last year.

In 2024, there were 65,224 calls made to the Gardaí across the state, a 9% rise from the previous year.

MEP Funchion said: “We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to this issue. More and more individuals, women in particular, now have to choose between homelessness and a place that is no longer safe. Women’s Aid say that at least 1 in 4 women in Ireland are subjected to some form of abuse from a current or former partner. This is not just a private matter but a public issue that requires a multifaceted approach to reduce its prevalence and ensure that every individual who makes that phone call receives the support they deserve.

“Violence against women continues to rise, yet there remains no clear and effective response from the government to address their issues at their root. Women deserve better. Women deserve to feel safe in every space they enter. We need stronger legislation, stricter enforcement, and robust regulations to ensure that offenders are held fully accountable for their actions. The government and Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan must prioritise this and recognise this for what it is - a crisis.

“As a member of the European Parliament’s committee on Women’s’ Rights and Gender Equality I will continue to use my voice to ensure that violence against women and children stays in the public space.”