Number of children turned away from COPE Galway almost doubled in 2017

Galway Bay fm newsroom – The number of children being turned away by homelessness and domestic abuse charity Cope Galway almost doubled last year. The city-based organisation is the only 24 hour service of it's kind in the West of Ireland. Last year, Cope Galway, based at Calbro House on the Tuam Road, had to turn away 441 children and their mothers. That's almost double the figure of 246 who were turned away in 2016 due to lack of capacity. According to The Times Ireland Edition, there was a rise in the number of women refused who had fled domestic abuse – from 204 cases to 258. The closest refuges to COPE Galway are in Ennis, Co. Clare; Athlone, Co. Westmeath; and Castlebar, Co. Mayo. Between them, it's understood they operate about 100 beds. COPE is warning that the lack of capacity to meet demand is a particular issue for women living in rural areas, who often have to uplift their lives to seek help. It also says the housing crisis is having a significant impact on the situation – as many have nowhere to move to once they arrive at a refuge with their children. Figures from Safe Ireland, which represents domestic abuse services, show that in 2016, almost 4 thousand requests for emergency accomodation were turned down nationwide due to capacity issues.