Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State and appreciate that the Minister is not in the country, and that he is delivering the reply on her behalf.

I appreciate it will not be possible to get into the nitty-gritty of this, but it seems to me that for a part of this year we will not know who will fulfil the critical function that RCNI has fulfilled very effectively during its tenure, to my best knowledge. A process will now get under way with the signalled conclusion more than six months away, when a decision will be taken on funding supports for the provision as and from 2015 of the services that RCNI has fulfilled. I am very concerned about the here and now. This is not a matter we can move about on a chess board or anything else. It is of such serious and immediate import that we must have permanently in place the overarching role that RCNI has clearly played as a critical umbrella force on behalf of the rape crisis centres across this land.

I can only urge the Minister of State to use his own good offices with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to appeal for every consideration to be given to the role of the RCNI and to its continuance at least during any so-called interregnum period. Those from rape crisis centres who have been in touch with me would favour RCNI being able to continue to carry out its particular role and service. I have no reason to dispute that. If those who are at the coalface of the provision of supports to victims of sexual violence have absolute confidence in RCNI, then I believe their opinion must count for something.

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