Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is the right thing to do. Although the Minister has cited studies that have been and will be carried out, none are comparable to the SAVI report in terms of the depth of data produced and the depiction of the entire scope of sexual violence in Ireland. This is the right thing to do. The Minister is correct that it is about prioritisation. It is not lost on Members that €5 million was prioritised for the Government's strategic communications unit. In that context, it should be confirmed in the House today that €1 million will be prioritised to fund this very necessary research.

This is not some additional bauble or concession to those in the world of research; it is absolutely essential to the guiding and shaping of our responses and our services to care for people who are victims of sexual violence. This is a necessary part of service provision and, to repeat, it is very wrong to suggest that one should choose services over up-to-date, reliable information.

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