Vol. 439 No. 4
72 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Health the plans, if any, he has to establish special units of medical staff to deal with victims of rape and sexual abuse outside the Dublin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
92 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Health his views on the lack of counselling and support services by way of rape crisis centres around the country for victims of rape who are male; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 and 92 together.
Specialist investigation and treatment services for persons who have been sexually assaulted or raped — both male and female — are available at the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit, Rotunda Hospital, Dublin. The unit provides facilities for the effective collection and processing of forensic evidence and a structured environment for the examination and treatment of victims of sexual assault and rape. This service is designed primarily to meet the needs of the population within the functional area of the Eastern Health Board but is also available to persons resident in other health board areas. Victims of sexual assault and rape outside the Eastern Health Board would also have access to local general practitioner-general hospital services for medical examination and treatment.
Following medical assessment and treatment in the immediate aftermath of sexual assault and rape, victims are referred to support services, both statutory and voluntary, for on-going counselling and support to deal with the trauma of the assault. Multi-disciplinary teams of health professionals in each health board area provide psychological support services for victims.
The Rape Crisis Centres throughout the country provide valuable support and counselling to victims of rape and sexual abuse, both male and female. Rape crisis centres are currently located in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny, Clonmel, Waterford, Galway and Tralee and new centres are planned in Castlebar and Wexford in 1994. All these centres receive or will receive funding from the health services Vote. Services provided by each centre focus predominantly on counselling, both by telephone and on a face-to-face basis, to victims of recent and past rape attacks and to victims of child sex abuse, both male and female.
