Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the witnesses for their presentations. I apologise that I had to go to the Seanad Chamber and will have to go back at 11.30 a.m. for Seanad business. I note that, overall, everyone is broadly welcoming of the Bill. Almost everyone has mentioned resourcing as a huge issue of implementation. Going through the heads of the Bill, it struck me it is vital that sufficient resources are provided in particular to the gardaí, and to a slightly lesser extent to the DPP and the Courts Service. That is because so many of the new protections and supports for victims will require quite intensive intervention, particularly by the gardaí. I note that a lot of contributors have touched on that.

I have a couple of specific questions. One concerns what Ms Maria McDonald from the Victims Rights Alliance raised on the re-victimisation and cross-examination of the victim. I am interested to know what extra could be in this Bill. I am looking at heads 16 and 26 which will provide additional protections. We have been taking Second Stage of the Sexual Offences Bill in the Seanad, containing new provisions on personal cross-examination of victims, which are very welcome.

Following the work done by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre in 2001, we have a provision on legal representation where a victim in a sex offence case is being cross-examined about personal sexual history. I am just wondering what else can be done.