Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

-----the Taoiseach’s comments earlier about the cross-party approach to gender-based violence, his commitment to the strategy and his recognition that a cultural shift is required in this country. As one of the other Deputies mentioned, there are immediate things that can happen and that need to happen. A report at the end of last year from the Rape Crisis Network Ireland stated that in some instances survivors of sexual violence have to wait over a year before they can get counselling and those wraparound supports. While the strategy is fundamental, it will not help those victims in the short term. Someone who experienced sexual violence last week or who will experience it next week will not have the services and supports they require now. I ask the Taoiseach to commit to providing an emergency fund in order that these services can get money to tide them over while work on the strategy is being undertaken.

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