Almost 1,900 women were turned away from domestic violence services in a six-month period last year due to a lack of beds, new research shows.A one-day census of 38 specialist domestic violence services was conducted by Safe Ireland on January 28th.It found 850 adults and 324 children received support from specialist domestic violence services but identified the housing crisis as the “single greatest barrier to safety and recovery for victims and survivors of domestic violence”.“Women are increasingly unable to leave abusive relationships, move on from refuge accommodation or establish independent lives”, the report said, blaming shortages in social housing, emergency accommodation and affordable private rental options.It highlighted pressure on refuge accommodation nationally, with findings showing 172 refuge units were available nationally, though 10 units were unavailable due to repairs or vacancies.Some 162 women and 93 children or dependent adults were residing in refuge accommodation on the census day, while domestic violence services reported turning away 1,872 women in the previous six months because of insufficient refuge capacity, accommodation shortages, staffing challenges or resource limitations.A total of 324 children were supported by services on census day, including through counselling, childcare, educational support and youth programmes. However, there were “ongoing gaps” in children’s mental health supports, therapeutic services and specialist assessments.The report also highlighted a growing prevalence of technology-facilitated and economic abuse.Some 52 per cent of survivors were reported to have experienced technology-facilitated abuse such as tracking, surveillance, phone monitoring and online harassment, it said.More than six in 10 survivors experienced financial or economic abuse, including restricted access to money, financial control or prevention from working or studying.The charity called for increased refuge and safe accommodation capacity and dedicated housing pathways for domestic violence survivors, as well as greater investment in specialist domestic violence services.“The findings of this census must act as a catalyst for action,” interim chief executive of Safe Ireland Christine Lodge said. “Every woman and child experiencing domestic violence should be able to access safety, support and justice when they need it.”Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik called on the Government to urgently expand domestic violence refuge capacity following the publication on Tuesday morning. It was “deeply alarming” that so many women had been turned away from domestic violence services, she said.[ Domestic violence register: How will it work?Opens in new window ]Under the Istanbul Convention and based on recent census data, Ireland required at least 500 refuge spaces to adequately support survivors, Bacik said.“We remain well below that standard,” she said, adding the Government should “act with urgency” to deliver those services.