Emma Quinn, a member of Dublin 15 Action Against Gender Violence, said around 500 families were turned away from the local refuge last year due to a lack of space. Leo Varadkar is the Taoiseach but he is also the local TD for Dublin 15,” she said. Andrea Murray, also a member of Dublin 15 Action Against Gender Violence, said the refuge is “a vital service” for the area. The national agency, which works towards ending domestic violence, said services were unable to provide accommodation for 3,256 requests in 2018. In addition, 53,627 helpline calls were answered by domestic violence support services, an average of 147 calls every day.

Source: The Irish Times December 11, 2019 21:45 UTC