Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 April 2023
1015. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Justice if a report has been commissioned by his Department for victims of child sex abuse carried out by members of the Probation Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17859/23]
View answerI can inform the Deputy no such report has been commissioned.
I would encourage anyone who has been a victim of any kind of sexual assault to reach out for help and support and to report the matter to An Garda Síochána. There are specialist Garda members in every Garda Division, trained to ensure that any victim presenting to Gardaí are met with a consistently high standard of specialist, sensitive, professional and expert assistance.
There are also a range of victim support services available and many are listed on the Victims Charter website at www.victimscharter.ie. Rape crisis centres throughout the country also offer advice and support services to victims of rape and sexual assault and operate a national 24-hour helpline which can be contacted at 1800 77 88 88. The HSE also have a National Counselling Service - www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/4/mental-health-services/national-counselling-service/
