429 women & children were denied safety in 2024 due to lack of space - Meath Women's Refuge

Last year 429 women experiencing domestic violence, and their children, were unable to be accommodated at Meath Women’s Refuge & Support Services, highlighting the urgent need for support and more housing options.

The figures, released today by Meath Women’s Refuge & Support Services ahead of International Women’s Day, underscore how the housing crisis and systemic barriers continue to leave women subjected to abuse at home with limited options.

The organisation provided emergency refuge accommodation to 196 women and children in 2024—up from 185 in 2023 and nearly double the 131 accommodated in 2022. The 24/7 helpline received 1,376 calls in 2024, a significant rise from 1,122 in 2023, reflecting the growing number of women reaching out for support.

Frances Haworth, CEO of Meath Women’s Refuge & Support Services, called for urgent action to tackle systemic barriers and support survivors of domestic violence to regain autonomy and independence:

"Every day, we see the impact of financial abuse, the housing crisis and the adversarial court system that trap women in abusive situations. The high incidence of domestic violence in Ireland is not just about individual perpetrators—it’s reflective of wider societal structures that limit women’s choices and safety. For example, the housing crisis is having an ongoing, devastating impact on families we work with. Last year, over a third of women who stayed with us in refuge exited to homeless accommodation and 20% went on to stay with a family member or friend. Just 5% secured social housing and 2% found private rented accommodation. This is the reality facing women who are trying to establish a safer life for themselves and their children. At a national level we need to do far more to increase housing supply, both social and private rented in Ireland, and make sure families affected by domestic violence are prioritised. We should also make it easier to separate social housing and HAP tenancies, so victims are not penalised and put to the bottom of the list when they leave an abusive partner.

Haworth continued: “The fact that 429 requests for refuge went unmet in 2024 shows the scale of the problem. Every one of those requests represents a woman, and often children, seeking safety. Refuge provides short term crisis support for victims of domestic violence – is not a long-term solution to the housing needs of families. We need urgent community and governmental action now to ensure that as many people as possible can remain safely at home or have a pathway to secure long term housing for themselves and their children.”

With more adult children forced to live at home with their parents, Meath Women’s Refuge and Support Services has also noticed an increase in the number of older women seeking refuge from abusive adult sons.

In addition to providing refuge accommodation, Meath Women’s Refuge and Support Services supports hundreds of women each year through court accompaniment, helpline support, counselling, and outreach services. In 2024, the organisation supported 530 women through court accompaniment and outreach in the community. The 24/7 helpline answered 1,376 calls, up 22% from the previous year, while 121 women received counselling, reflecting the growing need for recovery-focused services.

In November 2024, the then Minister for Justice Helen McEntee confirmed an €8.9 million funding approval for a new 12-unit refuge facility in Navan, set to open in 2027. This will provide increased refuge capacity for the county, and Meath Women’s Refuge & Support Services also aims to grow its community presence with drop in clinics and a greater focus on education and prevention. Zero Tolerance Meath was launched in 2024 and is a three-year project focussed on mobilising the community in Co. Meath to address domestic, sexual and gender based violence and take action to make our community safer. For more information or to support the work of Meath Women’s Refuge & Support Services, visit dvservicesmeath.ie or call 1800 46 46 46.