THE Chairman of the Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP) has described domestic abuse figures in Donegal as a “cancer in our society”.
Councillor Gerry McMonagle has said he will make urgent contact with Donegal Domestic Violence Service (DDVS) in the wake of stark figures obtained by this newspaper from An Garda Siochána.
The figures reveal 1,400 domestic abuse related calls were made in Donegal Division in 2025.
The figures also show there were 152 incidents relating to the breach of barring, safety and protection orders in 2025 in Donegal Division. In the first three months of this year, 26 such incidents were recorded in Donegal Division.
Nationally, An Garda Siochána received almost 67,000 domestic abuse calls last year, an increase of two per cent on figures in 2024.
Speaking to the Donegal News, Cllr McMonagle said the figures were “worrying”, adding too many women have been killed or injured by a violent partner.
“Society must stand up and call domestic violence out. We must name it and shame it.
“Most importantly, we as a community must do all we can to help and support the victims of domestic violence.
“We must stand up and be their voice. Their should be zero tolerance to the perpetrators of domestic violence, and anyone who breaches barring, safety or protection orders should go straight to jail.”
Cllr McMonagle said he will invite DDVS to the next meeting of the LCSP to identify where the partnership can advocate on their behalf for more resources to help the victims of domestic violence.
Cllr Gerry McMonagle.
“There needs to be a multi agency approach to this cancer in our society. Domestic violence must be named and called out by us all.
“We need a coordinated approach with more Interagency responses.
“We need to raise more public awareness around domestic violence in our towns and villages. To do this, we need more people trained up from our multi agencies to help bolster frontline responders.”
Cllr McMonagle said more refuge and safe accommodation needs to be made available for victims of domestic violence.
He has called for an end to the uncertain funding model that is currently in place for domestic violence refuge centres.
“The Local Community Safety Partnership can also help by raising awareness, and putting domestic violence front and centre of our Community Safety Plan we can also become an advocate for more resources for those supporting the victims of domestic violence.”
He praised the work of An Garda Siochána on the work they have undertaken in recent years to train members in identifying and supporting victims of domestic violence in a “compassionate and professional manner”.
Training
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for An Garda Siochána said given the known prevalence of the rise of domestic abuse in recent years, the organisation has “significantly invested in the training and capabilities of gardaí”.
“This has seen the establishment of a specialist Protective Services Unit in each Garda Division staffed by highly trained, specialist detectives operating under the guidance provided to them through the Garda Protective Services Bureau (GNPSB).
“These units are comprised of several hundred highly skilled and specially trained Gardaí that are working to support victims of crimes such as domestic or intimate partner abuse, coercive control and sexual crimes including assault.”
Since the introduction of coercive control as a standalone offence in 2019, gardaí have secured 52 prosecutions for this crime.
The offence of non-fatal strangulation was introduced in November 2023 and there have been 67 prosecutions for this offence, 58 of which relate to domestic abuse.
As of late June last year, gardaí have initiated 12 prosecutions for the new offence of stalking since this offence was introduced, six of which relate to domestic abuse.
Anyone who is experiencing coercive control is urged to contact any garda station either in person or by phone.