Mr. Mark Toland:

Certainly, it was recommended that one of the pilot projects be in Dublin city centre. I cannot remember if it was recommended that both take place in cities, but it was felt we should start in a city centre because travel would be easier and it would be easier to involve the strategic agencies. I think it was envisaged that they would probably pilot the project in cities. It was about bringing agencies together in a single location with all of the services a victim of child sexual abuse needed. As far as I am concerned, existing facilities could be used while purpose-built facilities were being planned as that will take a period of time and require funding. Children have to travel to the interview suite looked after by An Garda Síochána and the place where they can be medically examined. They are separate locations and it is traumatic for a child to be brought from one location to another.

At the centres that we visited, the children are met immediately by professionals who explain exactly what will happen, which relieves much of the worry of parents. They explain what the medical examination will involve. What we found in the other jurisdictions we examined was that parents and guardians are more likely to agree to medical examination and to assist with a police investigation. In Ireland, we found that parents are often put off by the explanation and quite often refuse to allow a child to be interviewed or medically examined. As a result, the prosecution cannot proceed or is very unlikely to do so. We believe the proposed approach would encourage parents to come forward and assist with an investigation, whereas under the current approach parents seem reticent about allowing their child to be examined and do not always allow their child to be interviewed. That presents serious risks because the abuser is still a risk to other children.