Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is critical that victims of sexual violence have access to services. I have stated my commitment and that of the Government to ring-fence the front-line services that reach out to women and men in that situation. It is very important in this discussion that we separate the importance of support for victims of crimes, including crimes of a sexual nature, and support for services which work with those victims and provide such a comprehensive service throughout the country from the tendering process for a particular piece of work where there are contractual obligations and EU regulations that must be followed if substantial funding is being made to any one provider. I am bit surprised by what Deputy Pringle said about changing the rules in respect of the tendering process because these rules are laid down in law and must be followed, but I take the spirit in which he raised it, which is to accept that invaluable work is being done by the RCNI in terms of the various support structures it offers to rape crisis centres.

I take the point the Deputy is making about the importance of the work but I have outlined very clearly that the intention is to ring-fence front-line services. I have outlined the amounts of money that are going to those services and the very clear position in respect of the tendering process for specific work. I would not want that to be seen as undermining in any way the work that has been done by the RCNI with victims and other organisations.

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