One in five Irish women has been abused by an intimate partner and up to 40 per cent of women were turned away from women's refuges in 2004, according to Women's Aid.
The voluntary organisation staged a demonstration outside the Dáil to highlight what they say is a lack of Government funding to combat the threat of domestic violence against women.
The demonstration took place yesterday to mark International Day Against Violence Against Women. Five women dressed as brides stood outside the Dáil and one held a placard reading "beaten, raped and hospitalised five times", to symbolise the underside of intimate relationships for one in five Irish women, according to the organisation. "Statistics show that marriage is still the most common context for domestic violence, but it is by no means the only context," said director of Women's Aid Margaret Martin.
The Department of the Environment has not fulfilled its commitment to develop at least two women's refuges in the 2001 and 2004 homeless strategy, according to the organisation.
There are currently 18 refuges for women and their children throughout Ireland which can cater for 111 women and 353 children. Three of these refuges are in the greater Dublin area and the proposed Blanchardstown refuge development is now under threat due to funding issues with the department, Ms Martin said. "There is a funding crisis. Data from 14 of the 18 refuges showed that 40 per cent of women were refused refuge."
In the Rathmines refuge recently, 45 women and their children were turned away in one month alone. There are 24 family spaces in Dublin in total.
This is well below the 1.7 spaces per 10,000 of the population which is recommended internationally," she added.
Women's Aid received 20,000 calls to its helpline in 2004 and 40 per cent of these went unanswered due to inadequate services. Some 50 per cent of calls to the helpline reported emotional abuse, 30 per cent reported physical abuse and 9 per cent reported sexual abuse.
International Day Against Violence Against Women was the first day of a 16-day global campaign concerning violence against women.
Minister of State for Justice Frank Fahey yesterday announced funding of €46,000 for 28 projects in 13 counties to mark this international campaign.