asked the Minister for Health if the Government will take steps to ensure that the Rape Crisis Centre is properly funded and that it does not have to close.
Written Answers. - Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.
196.
It is presumed that the Deputy's question refers to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre. I do not have overall responsibility for women's affairs, nor do my Department have specific allocation for women's affairs.
The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre received combined funding from the Eastern Health Board and the national lottery fund amounting to £40,500 for 1988.
The current financial difficulties of the centre were caused by their entering into commitments, particularly the recruitment of extra staff, without agreement with the Eastern Health Board. The greater part of the centre's activities is with alleged child abuse, only a small proportion of which are current cases. The Eastern Health Board already have an effective and coherent multi-disciplinary service for child abuse based at Temple Street and Crumlin Childrens' Hospitals.
However, without prejudice to my view as to the manner in which the centre's difficulties have arisen, I have decided in view of the urgency of their financial position to issue to them now a further £20,000 from lottery funds. This additional sum is their 1989 allocation from the lottery. This payment is conditional upon their coming to agreement with the health board on the co-ordination of their services with the statutory services. I have been in contact with the Eastern Health Board who will advise the centre about the organisation of its financial affairs.