Kate O'Connell (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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I thank the witnesses for coming before us. I also thank them for their patience and their presentations. I will start with Ms Blackwell. In her role at the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, has she heard of attendees or staff being abused in the street verbally or in any way? I have seen reports of images displayed outside clinics and centres. What do the witnesses think is the purpose of those images?

My next question is for Dr. Eogan. She said that one third of first-time patients do not come back to the unit. Could she elaborate on why she thinks that is the case? We touched on it already but ,in her experience, has she ever come across reasons why she would not believe a woman who says she was raped?

Mr. O’Malley touched on pretty much everything I was going to ask him. Is he saying that it would not be workable if we put in some sort of hierarchy of people as de factojudges who would deem women either eligible or miserable enough to deserve terminations?