Wexford Faces Surge in Domestic Abuse as Calls to Gardaí Rise by 45% Nationally

Wexford is not immune to Ireland’s growing domestic abuse crisis, with new figures showing a 45% increase in Garda callouts related to domestic violence across the country since 2020 — and local services under increasing pressure to respond.  Over 65,000 domestic abuse incidents were reported to Gardaí nationally in 2024, up from 44,782 in 2020. These include breaches of protection and barring orders as well as physical assaults and coercive control. With nearly 42,000 calls already recorded in 2025, the upward trend shows no sign of slowing.

Locally, the Wexford/Wicklow Garda division logged more than 3,700 incidents in 2024 alone, and 770 calls in the first nine months of 2025. The Chair of Wexford Women’s Refuge, Vicky Barron, describes the figures as deeply concerning and says the true scale is even greater. “There were 3,700 calls made to Gardaí in Wexford and Wicklow last year — and over 41,000 to Women’s Aid nationally,” she said.“Those are the ones reported. There are tens of thousands more victims who still haven’t made that call.” She also raised serious concerns about tenancy laws, which she says often force victims to leave their homes while perpetrators remain. “We need tenancy laws changed — urgently. Right now, the rights of perpetrators are enshrined in tenancy law, which is not intentional, but it’s one of those unintended outcomes. Victims are the ones being displaced.” Court data supports the growing demand for legal protection. In 2023, there were 1,058 applications for domestic violence orders in Wexford courts, with more than half granted. In the first nine months of 2024 alone, 637 new applications have already been submitted. Barron is also calling for stronger sentencing from the judiciary, citing recent high-profile cases where perpetrators avoided jail despite serious threats and violence. “When someone beats their partner and threatens to kill her, and still avoids jail, that sends the wrong message. It’s not acceptable — not in 2025.”