This country profile presents the administrative data collected in Ireland during the 2023–2024 data collection exercise with the support of national data providers and national researchers.
The list of 13 indicators developed by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) for the purposes of this data collection exercise is presented in Annex 1.
The data collected in other countries and the methodological report are published in EIGE’s Gender Statistics Database.
Interpreting the administrative data collected in Ireland
Please note that as the data source is administrative, care must be taken when interpreting this data. Administrative data is collected by agencies on an operational basis and depending on the nature of the data it may introduce biases in the types of experiences noted. For sensitive data it may not be indicative of the true prevalence of the experience.
FIGURE 1Relationship between reported violence, disclosed violence, and the prevalence of actual violence
Source: Adapted from Eurostat, EU survey on gender-based violence against women and other forms of interpersonal violence (EU-GBV) – first results – 2022 edition, p. 5 (available at http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-statistical-reports/w/ks-ft-22-005)
Data source for Ireland
The data on victims and perpetrators is sourced from PULSE, the administrative crime database of an Garda Síochána (the Irish Police Service) while the data on protection orders is sourced from the Irish Courts Service.
As noted, this data source is administrative in nature and care must be taken when interpreting this data. This data is collected by agencies on an operational basis in Ireland and hence may not have the granularity required for more detailed breakdowns or the coherency for international comparison.
Due to the sensitive nature of the experiences (including sexual and domestic violence), it is likely that there is underreporting to an Garda Síochaná (the Police Service in Ireland). Hence the actual prevalence of these experiences is likely to be higher than the volumes quoted in this report. For example, the Sexual Violence Survey conducted in Ireland in 2022 showed that of those who had experienced sexual violence as an adult in Ireland and had told someone, only 5 % of people reported this to the Police Service. Almost six in ten (59 %) of those who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed to others, but not the police, did not disclose to the police because they thought what happened was not serious enough. The next most frequently chosen reason for not disclosing to the police was that they felt ashamed or embarrassed, with 32 % of adults choosing this.
In addition, there is a legacy effect where reports of domestic and sexual violence may only occur years after the event. The data presented here is based on the reported date of the violence to the policing bodies as opposed to the specific date when it occurred. Official crime statistics show that just over one third (37 %) of reported incidents of rape and sexual assault in 2023 had occurred more than a year before.
The data on the number of victims and perpetrators is derived by mapping crime categories on the PULSE system to the list of offences prescribed in the data collection guide for this exercise. It should be noted that there was not a direct match to all the prescribed crime categories which may result in an understating of some violence categories.
Furthermore, official crime data in Ireland is expressed in terms of ‘crime incidents’ rather than offences and it should also be noted that more than one offence can arise from each crime incident. The primary crime offence rule is used in Ireland for crime counting for statistical purposes. While the number of victims will reflect the number who report this type of crime, the full breadth of intimate partner violence or domestic violence experiences will not be fully represented in this data. For example, in an incident where physical violence and economic violence is identified, the incident will be categorised as the offence which will result in the most serious sanction which in that example is physical violence. This means the figures for offences which may result in lesser sanctions will be underreported in this data.
Also, there is no official definition of domestic violence in Ireland and as such the figures presented should be considered as indicative only. The data presented is derived from a variable on the administrative police data that described the nature of the relationship between the victim and perpetrator of crimes. For example, the type of relationships included in the dataset are current/former intimate partner or spouse, other family or household members, friends or relatives, etc.
Where the phrase violence against women is used in this country profile, it will refer to violence against women and girls.
Women are the main victims of intimate partner violence and domestic violence
EIGE’s police indicators mainly collect data on victims of intimate partner violence, domestic violence, and violence in ‘any relationship’. EIGE defines a victim as ‘a person who has suffered harm, including physical, mental or emotional harm or economic loss which was directly caused by a criminal offence’.
Findings from EIGE’s latest data collection exercise show that women are the main victims of intimate partner violence and domestic violence. In 2022, women in Ireland comprised 88 % of victims of intimate partner violence and 78 % of victims of domestic violence recorded by police.
At the same time, women are less represented among victims of violence in a broader context. In 2022, 45 % of victims violence by any perpetrator recorded by police were women.
Figure 2 Proportion of female victims of intimate partner violence, domestic violence, and any violence, as recorded by police (Indicator 1), 2022
Intimate partner violence
EIGE defines intimate partner violence as ‘any act of physical, sexual, psychological or economic violence that occurs between former or current spouses or partners, whether or not the perpetrator shares or has shared the same residence with the victim’.
In Ireland, there is no legal definition of intimate partner violence. However, police data is available on the annual number of victims of violence committed by current or former intimate partners or spouses, regardless of whether the victim and perpetrator are cohabitating or have previously cohabitated.
Victims of intimate partner violence
In Ireland, women represent the majority (88%) of victims of intimate partner violence recorded by police in 2022. Police recorded 5,300 women victims of violence committed by an intimate partner (out of 6,001 total victims).
Figure 3 Annual number of female and total victims of intimate partner violence, as recorded by police (Indicator 1), 2022
EIGE’s research shows that intimate partner violence remains an issue for women in Ireland. This finding is supported by the results of the EU survey on gender-based violence (EU-GBV survey) which shows that 35 % of ever-partnered women in Ireland have experienced psychological, physical (including threats), or sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime (based on 2021 data).
Victims of specific forms of intimate partner violence
During EIGE’s 2023-2024 data collection exercise, the Central Statistics Office in Ireland provided tabular police data on the annual number of victims of physical, psychological, sexual, and economic intimate partner violence recorded by police (Indicators 4-7).
The figures compiled are based on the primary crime offence rule. These figures are compiled by mapping the Irish crime offence categories to the offence categories for this report and one-to-one mapping was not possible for some of the forms of violence. It is possible therefore that the level of violence for some categories may be underestimated and as a result, these numbers should be treated as indicative only.
Figure 4 Annual number of female and total victims of intimate partner violence where the primary incident was physical, psychological, sexual, or economic violence, as recorded by police (Indicators 4-7), 2022
Domestic violence
EIGE defines domestic violence as ‘all acts of physical, sexual, psychological or economic violence that occur within the family or domestic unit, irrespective of biological or legal family ties, or between former or current spouses or partners, whether or not the perpetrator shares or has shared the same residence as the victim’.
In Ireland, there is no legal definition of domestic violence. However, the Domestic Violence Act 2018 criminalises physical or emotional force or the threat of physical force, including sexual violence in close adult relationships.
The police data presented in this country profile on domestic violence refer to violence between intimate and former partners/spouses, family members (that may or may not share a residence), and non-family members that share a residence.
Victims of domestic violence
According to the latest data, women represent most domestic violence victims recorded in Ireland (78 %). In 2022, 7,496 women victims of domestic violence were recorded by police (out of 9,654 total victims). It should be noted that the data below on victims of domestic violence includes victims of intimate partner violence.
Figure 5 Annual number of female and total victims of domestic violence, as recorded by police (Indicator 1), 2022
Between 2014 and 2022, the annual number of domestic violence victims recorded by the police fluctuated. Fluctuations between years can be attributed to various factors and do not necessarily imply that violence has improved or worsened in the country.
The police data recorded in Ireland sheds light on the extent to which women suffer from domestic violence. Findings of the EU-GBV survey also show that 24 % of women have experienced physical violence (including threats) or sexual violence by a domestic perpetrator during adulthood (based on 2021 data).
Victims of specific forms of domestic violence
As part of EIGE’s 2023-2024 data collection exercise, the Central Statistics Office in Ireland shared police data on the annual number of recorded victims where the primary crime incident was classed as a form of physical, psychological, sexual, and economic domestic violence.
These figures are compiled by mapping the Irish crime offence categories to the offence categories for this report and one-to-one mapping was not possible for some of the forms of violence. It is possible therefore that the level of violence for some categories may be underestimated and as a result, these numbers should be treated as indicative only (Indicators 4-7).
Figure 6 Annual number of female and total victims of domestic violence where the primary incident was physical, psychological, sexual, or economic violence, as recorded by police (Indicators 4-7), 2022
Homicide: Number of women killed
EIGE defines femicide as ‘killing of women and girls because of their gender’. It is the most severe manifestation of gender-based violence. EIGE’s femicide classification framework distinguishes between killings committed by intimate partners and family members and other forms of femicide, which are less common.
There is no legal definition of femicide in Ireland. However, national level police data is available on female and total victims of intentional homicide and manslaughter committed by an intimate partner, a domestic perpetrator, and any perpetrator.
For the purposes of this section, intentional homicide and manslaughter will be referred to homicide.
In 2022, women represented 70 % of recorded victims of intimate partner homicide (7 out of 10), and 52 % of recorded victims of domestic homicide (14 out of 27). During the same year, women comprised a smaller share of homicide victims overall (30%, 24 out of 81).
These figures are compiled where the primary crime incident was classed as homicide or manslaughter.
Figure 7 Annual number of female and male victims of intimate partner homicide, domestic homicide, and any homicide, as recorded by police (Indicator 9), 2022
Rape: Number of women victims
EIGE defines rape as ‘sexual penetration, whether vaginal, anal or oral, through the use of object or body parts, without consent, using force, coercion or by taking advantage of the vulnerability of the victim’.
In Ireland, the Criminal Law Rape Act of 1981 states that a man commits rape if he has unlawful sexual intercourse with a woman who at the time of the intercourse does not consent to it, and at that time he knows that she does not consent to the intercourse or he is reckless as to whether she does or does not consent to it.
Rape is also criminalised by the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act of 1990. This law defines rape as a sexual assault that includes penetration (however slight) of the anus or mouth by the penis, or penetration (however slight) of the vagina by any object held or manipulated by another person.
In 2022, women represented 99 % of victims of intimate partner rape recorded by police (209 out of 211). In the same year, women comprised 91 % of recorded victims of domestic rape (281 out of 310), and 92 % of recorded victims of any rape (880 out of 954).
These figures are compiled where the primary crime incident was classed as rape.
Figure 8 Annual number of female and male victims of intimate partner rape, domestic rape, and any rape, as recorded by police (Indicator 8), 2022
In 2022, the police recorded even higher numbers of victims of sexual violence committed by intimate partners (see the section ‘Victims of specific forms of intimate partner violence’) and domestic perpetrators (see the section ‘Victims of specific forms of domestic violence’)
Protecting victims of domestic violence
A protection order, in the context of violence against women, is defined as ‘a legal injunction that requires an offender to refrain from doing certain acts and to stay away from the victim’. Protection orders can be adopted under criminal or civil laws. They are fast legal remedies to protect people at risk of any form of violence by prohibiting or restraining certain behaviour by the perpetrators.
Protection orders available in Ireland
As per the Court service of Ireland, there are five main kinds of protection available from the courts in Ireland. The orders can be applied for by persons in the following types of relationships: a spouse; a civil partner; a person that the applicant lives with or lived with in an intimate relationship; a person who applicant was in an intimate relationship with but did not live with; the applicant’s adult child; the other parent of the applicant’s child(ren); or another adult who lives with the applicant.
The following are the types of orders that can be obtained:2
- Safety order: An order that prohibits a person from using or threatening violence towards the person who has been granted the order and/or any dependent children. A safety order does not require a person to leave the home of residence. For people who are not married it is not necessary to be living with the person or to have lived with them in the past to apply for a safety order. It lasts for up to five years.
- Protection order: A temporary safety order which can be granted by a court when a person applies for a safety order and/barring order. A protection order only lasts until the full court hearing of the application for a safety order and/or barring order. It is not necessary to be living with the person or have lived with them in the past to apply for a protection order.
- Barring order: An order which require a person, against whom the order is made, to leave and stay away from the home (place of residence) of the person applying for the order and/or dependent children. It last up to three years.
- Interim barring order: A temporary barring order only made in exceptional circumstances as it is granted without notice to the person against whom it is made. Where the court is of the opinion that there are reasonable grounds for believing that there is an immediate risk of significant harm to the applicant or any dependent person it may grant an interim order. An interim order made without notice to the person against whom it is made can last for no more than eight days. Further orders may be made until the full hearing of the case.
- Emergency barring order: An order available in certain circumstances to people living together and parents of adult children who would not be ordinarily able to apply for a barring/interim barring order because they have lesser ownership rights in the place of residence than the person against whom the order is being sought. It can be granted without notice to the person against whom it is made and can last for no longer than eight days.
Number of protection orders for victims of domestic violence
In 2022, 23,536 protection order applications were filed for victims of domestic violence in certain relationships. In the same year, 10,244 protection orders were granted to victims of domestic violence in certain relationships.
These figures include applications to the District and Circuit Courts. The figures include cases where there is more than one application per victim. The numbers include safety orders, barring orders, as well as interim and final Protection Orders. Please see pages 68 and 69 of the annual report for 2022 of the Irish Courts Service for details.
Figure 9 Annual number of protection orders (applied and granted) for total victims of domestic violence in certain relationships (Indicator 10), 2014-2022
Please note, the data for protection order applications for total victims include cases where there is more than one application per victim.
Perpetrators of intimate partner violence and domestic violence
Perpetrators are defined as ‘persons brought into formal contact with the police and suspected/arrested or cautioned for a criminal offence’.
Most of EIGE’s indicators collect data on all perpetrators (including male and female perpetrators). However, the data for indicators 3 and 11–13 (on perpetrators reported, prosecuted, sentenced and held in prison) refers strictly to male perpetrators.
The data in Ireland refers to persons who have been detected by the police as having committed a crime and have been issued with a charge or summons as a result.
In 2022, 90 % of men detected by police for reported intimate partner violence committed those crimes against women (2,788 out of 3,089). In the same year, 81 % of men detected for reported domestic violence committed crimes against women (3,628 out of 4,471).
Figure 10 Annual number of male perpetrators detected by police for reported intimate partner violence, domestic violence, and any violence (Indicator 3), 2022
Summary of data availability and next steps
Findings from EIGE’s data collection exercise underscore the persistent threat of intimate partner violence and domestic violence to the safety and well-being of women and girls.
The collection of robust administrative data on intimate partner violence and domestic violence is essential to ensure effective policymaking, resource allocation, and the development of targeted interventions to support victims and prevent further violence.
In Ireland, women represent most victims of violence, homicide, and rape committed by intimate partners and domestic perpetrators recorded in 2022. During this same year, almost all men detected for intimate partner violence and domestic violence committed crimes against women. In the same vein, most males detected for violence against women were reported for harming an intimate partner, a family member, or another victim in the household.
In May 2024, the EU adopted Directive (EU) 2024/1385 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on combating violence against women and domestic violence. Article 44 establishes that Member States must work with EIGE to collect administrative data on these forms of violence and must adhere to common standards. EIGE remains committed to supporting Member States in their efforts to collect comprehensive, reliable data on violence against women and domestic violence.
Further details on the data collected during EIGE’s 2023–2024 data collection exercise are available in EIGE’s Gender Statistics Database and on its website.
Annexes
Annex 1: List of EIGE’s 13 indicators on intimate partner violence and domestic violence