Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

I am delighted to have the opportunity to raise this matter. The HSE has made a decision to terminate the funding of Rape Crisis Network Ireland and SAFE Ireland, the national network for domestic violence services. These two networks between them deliver an expert national programme of work on sexual and domestic violence. They join up services across Ireland and establish standards and access for survivors. They also deliver evidence and knowledge without which the Government, specifically Ministers across six Departments, would be hard pressed to form coherent or effective policy.

The HSE will effectively terminate many of these valuable services on 1 June. I understand the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy James Reilly, has extended this deadline for one month while he conducts a review, which is very welcome, of the decisions taken by the HSE. Some of the networks' functions have now gone out to a limited tender. In regard to one of those functions, data collection, I have to hand an independent, expert assessment conducted by Dr. Maureen Lyons, the director of research design and methodology in the equality studies department in UCD, of the RCNI data collection system, which is due to be terminated, and a comparison with the HSE replacement. Dr Lyons's assessment is that the HSE data collection is not fit for purpose. That is an important point to note. It is clear that the HSE does not have adequate capacity in this regard. Who assesses the HSE and its capacity? Clearly it does not have adequate capacity in this respect. Where is the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, and the other groups when it comes to these vital services and the survivors who are lucky to be alive and are trying to live with the effects of what they have suffered daily? We are all aware from articles in the newspapers today of the situation in Donegal affecting 25 assault victims.

The HSE has decided to terminate all funding to the Rape Crisis Network Ireland and SAFE Ireland affecting all existing and planned work on preventing and addressing child sexual abuse and sexual and domestic violence, and the terms of reference issued for the selection of a future service provider are totally inadequate. I would like to know who drew up the terms of reference. They are inadequate and betray a lack of expertise in and knowledge of the area. They indicate a lack of capacity on the part of the HSE to fulfil its functions to protect those affected by abuse and domestic and sexual violence. The HSE is effectively dismissing the gold standard data collection system which it has funded and which has been developed by Rape Crisis Network Ireland over seven years. It is an international model of best practice.

I seek a reversal of the HSE decision and suspension of actions under implementation by the HSE. This is very alarming for groups locally and national umbrella bodies. If it is considered that there is some fat at the top in the national bodies, which I do not believe there is, we will accept change. The tender documents that have been issued are totally inadequate. We need a reversal of these decisions. The Secretary General of the Department of Justice and Equality, Mr. Sean Aylward, has also sought a reversal of this decision. The Minister has stood down that board of the HSE and who is in charge there now? There are senior officials of the Department in place. Accountability and transparency are vital but above all what is badly needed is certainty regarding the continuation of services. The angst and anxiety experienced by all the groups and their users - the service users are the people this is all about - must be alleviated by confirming certainty regarding the continuation of services.

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