Chapter 6 of 6 · Afterwards and special cases · 3 of 4
Safety, barring and protection orders in Ireland
Last verified2026-10-07Safety orders (up to 5 years), barring orders (up to 3 years), interim, emergency and protection orders under the Domestic Violence Act 2018. District Court, no fee, legal aid with no contribution.
This guide covers the Republic of Ireland.
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This guide explains the five court orders available under the Domestic Violence Act 2018. They are made in the District Court. There is no court fee. You do not need a solicitor, and if you want one, legal aid for these orders carries no contribution.
The five orders
| Order | What it does | How long it lasts |
|---|---|---|
| Safety order | Stops violence, threats, intimidation. Where you do not live together, stops the respondent coming near your home or contacting you. Does not make them leave. | Up to 5 years, renewable |
| Barring order | Requires the respondent to leave the home and stay away. Can also stop violence and contact. | Up to 3 years, renewable |
| Interim barring order | A barring order made urgently, often without the respondent present, pending the full hearing. | Up to 8 working days |
| Emergency barring order | For people who have no legal interest in the home, or less than the respondent. Makes the respondent leave. | Up to 8 working days |
| Protection order | Made at the first hearing while you wait for the full safety or barring hearing. Same effect as a safety order. | Until the court decides the safety or barring application |
Safety order (section 6)
A safety order directs the respondent not to use or threaten violence, not to molest or put you in fear. If you do not live together, it also stops them watching or besetting your home and following or communicating with you, including electronically. It can cover a dependent child. It does not require the respondent to leave a shared home. The District Court can make it for up to 5 years.
Barring order (section 7)
A barring order directs the respondent to leave the home and not to return. It can also contain the prohibitions in a safety order. The District Court can make it for up to 3 years.
There is a property condition. The court will not bar a respondent from a home they own or part-own where you have no legal or beneficial interest in it, or a smaller interest than theirs. Spouses and civil partners are not caught by this. For others, the emergency barring order below exists to fill the gap.
Interim barring order (section 8)
Where there is an immediate risk of significant harm, the court can make an interim barring order on the day you apply, without the respondent being told in advance. It lasts no more than 8 working days unless the court confirms it. The respondent is served with the order and your sworn evidence as soon as possible.
Emergency barring order (section 9)
This is for a person in or formerly in an intimate relationship with the respondent, or the parent of an adult respondent, who has no legal interest in the home or less than the respondent. It lasts no more than 8 working days. A second emergency barring order against the same person normally cannot be made until a month after the first expired, except in exceptional circumstances.
Protection order (section 10)
When you first apply for a safety or barring order, the court can make a protection order immediately. It stops violence, threats, molestation and, where you live apart, contact and watching your home. It lasts until the court decides your full application.
Who can apply
Section 6 of the 2018 Act lists who can apply for a safety order:
- a spouse or civil partner;
- a person who is or was in an intimate relationship with the respondent;
- a parent, where the respondent is an adult child;
- an adult who lives with the respondent in a relationship that is not mainly contractual (so not a lodger or landlord);
- the parent of a child whose other parent is the respondent.
A barring order is open to the same people apart from the "living together, not contractual" category, and for non-spouses it requires that you lived with the respondent in an intimate relationship. Tusla can apply on behalf of a person who cannot. You do not need to have been married, and you do not need to still be in the relationship.
Divorce or separation proceedings run separately; the orders here protect you now. Separation, judicial separation and divorce in Ireland: which route fits your situation covers the longer process.
Where to apply and what it costs
Applications are made to the District Court for the area where you live, or for a barring order, where the home is. The Courts Service does not charge a fee for family law applications.
The form is called "Application for a Domestic Violence Order". You can download it from courts.ie or get it from the court office. Staff at the office will help you file it. The form asks you to explain why you need an order.
If you would like a solicitor, the Legal Aid Board does not charge any contribution for taking or defending a District Court application for a barring, safety, interim barring or protection order. That is an exception to the normal €30 and €130 minimum contributions. Legal aid for other family law matters is covered at Legal aid for divorce in Ireland: who qualifies and what you pay.
In 2025 there were 27,429 domestic violence applications to the courts (Courts Service Annual Report 2025, published 13 July 2026).
What happens at the hearing
The first hearing. After you file, the office arranges for you to see a judge, usually the same day or within a day or two. Most first hearings are ex parte, meaning the respondent is not told in advance and is not in the room. You give sworn evidence. The judge can make a protection order or an interim barring order there and then.
Service. The Courts Service or the Gardaí serve the respondent with the order, the summons for the full hearing and your sworn information. You do not have to do this yourself.
The full hearing. You receive a summons for the hearing of your safety or barring application. It is held in private. Both of you can give evidence and be asked questions by the other side. The judge then decides whether to make the order and for how long.
Support in court. Section 26 of the Act gives you the right to be accompanied in court by a person of your choice, including a support worker, as well as any solicitor. Women's Aid and Men's Aid can arrange court accompaniment.
Appeal. Either side can appeal to the Circuit Court. Appeal papers must be served and filed within 14 days of the District Court decision. An order usually stays in force while an appeal is pending.
If the order is breached
Breaching a safety, barring, interim barring, emergency barring or protection order is a criminal offence under section 33 of the 2018 Act. Call the Gardaí immediately and show them a copy of the order. Keep a copy with you and one somewhere safe.
On summary conviction the respondent faces a class B fine (up to €4,000), up to 12 months in prison, or both.
The 2018 Act also made coercive control a criminal offence (section 39), carrying up to 5 years in prison on indictment. That is a Garda matter, separate from the civil orders here.
Where this leaves you
The orders in this guide are about safety now, and they are free to apply for. The longer questions, the home, money and children, are dealt with in Who gets the house in a divorce in Ireland?, Spousal maintenance in Ireland: how it is decided, changed and enforced and Guardianship, custody and access in Ireland. the legal aid estimator shows whether legal aid is likely to cover those other applications, and the solicitor page explains how to be put in touch with a solicitor. If you need to talk to someone first, the numbers at the top of this page are answered by people who do this every day.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to be married to apply for a safety order?
No. Under section 6 of the 2018 Act, spouses, civil partners, people in or formerly in an intimate relationship, parents of an adult child, people living together in a non-contractual relationship, and the parent of a child whose other parent is the respondent can all apply.
How long does a safety order last?
The District Court can make a safety order for up to 5 years, and it can be renewed for further periods of up to 5 years. A barring order lasts up to 3 years and can also be renewed. Interim and emergency barring orders last a maximum of 8 working days.
Does a safety order make my partner leave the home?
No. A safety order stops violence, threats, intimidation and, where you do not live together, contact and watching your home. It does not require the respondent to leave. A barring order is the order that requires them to leave and stay away.
What happens if the order is breached?
Breach is a criminal offence under section 33 of the 2018 Act. Call the Gardaí at once and show them a copy of the order. On conviction the respondent can be fined up to a class B fine, imprisoned for up to 12 months, or both.
Will I have to pay for a solicitor?
The Courts Service charges no fee for the application. If you apply to the Legal Aid Board for a solicitor, the Board does not charge any contribution for taking or defending a District Court application for a safety, barring, interim barring or protection order.