Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will conclude by mentioning two other points. I will look into the issues the Deputy raises, both in terms of the quantum of funding and the most appropriate body to fund the rape crisis centres.

The Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, recently announced a full review of the sexual assault and treatment units around the country. These units provide support for victims of sexual violence and do significant work supporting men and women after sexual violence. However, we need to ensure we have a national plan in place and greater geographic equity because we do not have that at present.

The expert group led by Professor Dorothy Watson is nearing the completion of its work. We established the group in response to demands that we have a second Sexual Assault and Violence in Ireland or SAVI report. We should be in a position to announce in the near future a new detailed survey of sexual violence and domestic violence because one needs to know the facts to drive evidence based policy and one cannot improve matters if one does not measure them. We are keen to get a second SAVI survey up and running in the next couple of months. The survey may not be exactly the same as the SAVI survey done ten or 15 years ago. That should not be the case given that much has changed since but we need to have the data.

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