An increase in the incidence of any form of crime is, of course, a cause for concern, and particularly so with respect to sex-related crimes. The Deputy will be aware that earlier this year I launched a research report entitled Attrition in Sexual Assault Cases in Ireland: A Qualitative Analysis, which describes victims' interaction with various parts of the criminal justice system.
The resulting recommendations have implications not only for a number of areas of that system but also relate to wider social, health, education and media issues. I have referred the report and its recommendations to the national steering committee on violence against women, which is chaired by my colleague, Minister of State, Deputy Mary Wallace, for further consideration.