Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

Statistics published by the Central Statistics Office show that the number of recorded cases of rape increased by 10.2% in 2009 compared to 2008, whereas in 2008 they decreased by 2.8% and in 2007 by 4.1%. With regard to the number of rape and sexual assault cases before the courts, they decreased by 37.2% in 2009, whereas in 2008 they increased by 6.8% and in 2007 by 25.9%. This shows that in any year, there is no relationship between the number of cases recorded and the number of cases before the courts. There is inevitably a time lag between the recording of a complaint of rape and the appearance of the case in the courts, as a result of the investigation and detection process, the submission of an investigation file to the DPP and the preparation of the book of evidence.

I welcome the apparent increased willingness of complainants to report rape and other sexual offences and the changes in society, the law and public administration which have contributed to that trend. Changes that have been made to the legal system in this area include providing separate legal representation for the complainant, with the aim of allaying concerns he or she may have without breaching the fundamental principle of an accused's right to a fair trial. However, despite such positive developments, there remains a high attrition rate in rape cases, and a large number of cases reported to the Garda Síochána do not reach the courts for a variety of reasons.

The Government's commitment to tackling sexual violence is reflected in the establishment in June 2007 within my Department of Cosc, the national office for the prevention of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Cosc is currently developing a national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence for the five-year period from 2010 to 2014. This strategy will draw on the broad consultation that has taken place with interested persons and organisations. Several published studies relating to attrition in rape cases are being carefully examined in this context. The strategy is close to completion and will be considered by Government shortly.

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