Ms Noeline Blackwell:

I will deal with Deputy O'Connell’s question to me about people on the street. I have been with the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre nearly two years at this stage. Time flies. I did hear there was an instance of somebody setting up an anti-abortion lorry across the road from us. That was before my time. We are not clear on the reason for that because we take no position on a person having an abortion. Everybody who comes to us is treated the same. Everybody is treated in a non-judgmental way. There was only one incident of protest. What we do get is a certain amount of ignorant abuse from people who are on the street and who point or make it a little bit more difficult occasionally for people to come in to us. I cannot say enough about how difficult it can be for people to take that step through our door, not just the first time but the fifth or the tenth time as well. People come in despite the fact that they could not possibly be to blame for the rape or sexual violence that has happened to them. They do blame themselves. They feel ashamed on occasion and it is hard for them to come in. It is much harder if there is somebody harassing them or making their lives difficult. In terms of the verification process, all we can compare it to is the process of being in court. If a client is involved in the criminal justice system it impedes her progress personally in dealing with her trauma.