Ireland. My child is a victim of domestic or sexual violence

01. Get help

— What can I do?

Call 112 or 999 (emergency services) from a mobile or fixed phone line.  This number works in any EU country and from any phone, free of charge.  The operator will contact the fire, ambulance, and police services (Garda Siochana, Irish police force). 

For child abuse cases, there is a 24-hour dedicated phone line for reporting child sexual abuse at 1800 555 222.  This confidential and free phone line operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-impaired, you can report a crime by SMS text message on 112. However, you must first register your phone number on the 112 SMS service, and it must only be contacted in the event of an emergency.

In less urgent situations, you should contact your local Garda station to report a crime. If it would make you more comfortable, you can request to speak to a male or female Garda. If you do not speak English fluently, the Gardaí can provide free translation services. If you cannot go to a Garda Station, you can request that a Garda comes to your home to take a report.

— Do I need documents to call the police?

No.

— If I have any migration issues (e.g., visa overstay), is it safe for me to call the police?

Although it will assist the Gardaí if you provide as much information as possible, you do not have to give your name when reporting a crime. If you wish to provide confidential information about a crime or other activities, you can:

• Contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.

• Contact Crimestoppers on 1800 250 025.  This is staffed by members of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Crimestoppers guarantees anonymity and offers cash rewards for information.

This may become an issue once the Gardaí begins an investigation, requiring a statement regarding the incident.  However, on 31 January 2022, Ireland launched a new scheme to allow people without immigration status to apply for legal residence.  Certain requirements exist, and the scheme is only open until 31 July 2022.

02. Get medical help

— How to get medical help? 

You can call an ambulance by dialing 112 (this is a general emergency number).

— How to get medical help?

Call 112 or 999 (emergency services) from a mobile or fixed phone line.  This number works in any EU country and from any phone, free of charge.  The operator will contact the fire, ambulance, and police services (Garda Siochana, Irish police force). 

— Do I need money/documents/being registered in the country to get medical help?

For general healthcare:  Everyone ordinarily resident in Ireland and certain visitors to Ireland are entitled to a range of public health services either free or at a reduced cost. You are ordinarily resident if you have been living in Ireland for at least a year or intend to live here for at least one year.  

If you have a medical card issued by the Health Service Executive (HSE), you can get certain health services free. Usually, your dependent spouse or partner and your children are also covered by the same range of health services.

In general, if you have a medical card, you are entitled to free:

• GP services
• Prescribed drugs and medicines, subject to a charge for each item prescribed
• Public hospital services
• Specific dental, optical and aural services
• Maternity and infant care services
• Community care and personal social services

Depending on your circumstances, short-term visitors to Ireland may be entitled to free health services or at a reduced cost.

For urgent healthcare: Unless you have a medical card, you may be charged for ambulance services. However, the practice varies between different parts of the country, and charges may be waived in certain cases, for example, in cases of hardship.  

Medical cards:  Anyone who is ‘ordinarily resident in Ireland can apply for a medical card. This means that you are living in Ireland and intend to live here for at least one year.

To qualify for a medical card, your weekly income must be below a certain figure for your family size. Cash income, savings, investments, and property (except for your own home) are taken into account in the means test.

If you are coming to Ireland from Ukraine under the Temporary Protection Directive, you are entitled to health services and a medical card immediately.

03. Get in touch with local helping organizations

— Which organizations can help?

There are several NGOs that specialize in this. Below is the list of such NGOs made from publicly available sources. We have not contacted these NGOs, nor can we vouch for these organizations.

• An Garda Síochána
• Women’s Aid, National 24-hour Freephone Helpline: 1800 341 900.
• Safe Ireland, phone: 090 6479078, email: info@safeireland.ie.
• ADAPT Domestic Abuse Services, phone: 061 412354, email:  info@adaptservices.ie.
• Sonas, phone: 087 952 5217, Refuge Advice Line 24-hour: 01 866 2015, email:  info@sonasdomesticabuse.ie.
• Rape Crisis Help, phone: 1800 778888, email: info@rcc.ie.
• Samaritans, 24-hour Helpline: 116 123, email: jo@samaritans.ie.
• Legal Aid Board, phone: 066 947 1000 or 1890 615 200, email: info@legalaidboard.ie.
• Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC), phone: 1890 350 250 or 01 8745690.
• Nasc, phone: 021 427 3594,  reception@nascireland.org.

Did our instructions help?

When compiling the instructions, we relied on the help of volunteers and lawyers from different countries. If something went wrong – the organization didn’t respond to you, you found a bug or the instructions weren’t precise enough – tell us about it. Email us at: help@labirint.online