Mr. Mark Toland:

Some of it is relates to funding. Capital funding is necessary and locations must be identified. It involves more than just An Garda Síochána but includes the HSE, Tusla and other organisations which need to come together to agree where the centres will be provided. We envisaged and recommended in 2012 that two pilot projects be commenced and we were disappointed that not even one pilot scheme has been done. We are frustrated but there is a great deal of activity to get those centres up and running quickly. Existing facilities could be used in the interim to at least bring services together so that a child needs to attend only one location. It is not right that a child or adult victim of sexual assault must travel to different locations for different services. Parents and guardians from other jurisdictions are happy to travel longer distances to a specialist centre where they know they will get a really good service. It is not the case that they need to be located all over Ireland. The minute a child comes forward with his or her family to report child sexual abuse, there should be a dedicated centre to which the child can be brought rather than having to ring around to find a hospital or paediatrician that can see him or her. Sometimes children have to travel all over the country. It is an unsatisfactory outcome but there is a commitment to get the centres up and running pretty quickly.