Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Fifty-two percent of women have experienced sexual violence in their lives, while this figure is 28% for men. Moreover, 21% of women and 5% of men reported experiencing non-consensual sexual intercourse. The vast majority, almost 80%, knew the perpetrator. The Central Statistics Office Sexual Violence Survey 2022 is a difficult but important report. It presents a grim overview of the sheer prevalence of sexual violence in Irish society. More than 4,500 people participated in the survey, which was administered using international standards. We can have confidence that this presents an accurate indicator of sexual violence in Ireland. Too often, statistics can be thrown around in political debates but behind each of these numbers is the bleak reality that so many people have suffered sexual assault and harassment. One in two women and almost one in three men have experienced sexual violence. Those are truly shocking figures that demand we reconsider the scale of this issue and how the State supports survivors and pursues perpetrators. We need to have a candid and honest conversation about rape, sexual assault and harassment in Ireland. The narrative of a few bad apples just does not stand up to any kind of scrutiny any more. This is a massive cultural and societal issue and needs to be understood and treated as such. It is about our justice system, health services and education but also about challenging behaviours and not tolerating the attitudes that facilitate and overlook sexual violence. We also have to face up to the fact that we keep having these discussions. Every International Women’s Day, we condemn sexual violence and look for more action.

This area overlaps with gender-based violence. In January last year, the murder of Ashling Murphy was supposed to be a watershed moment. There were vigils across the country and thousands of people called for change, for a radical new approach and for an end to cultures and systems that protect perpetrators.

We cannot keep having the same discussion when women are dying, when so many children are being abused and when 1 in 5 women are raped, in most cases by men they know. If we were told about a condition that affected almost 40% of the population, there would be a massive health campaign to address it. New staff would be recruited and there would be centres of excellence and public information campaigns. Sexual violence should be treated no differently. It is a public justice and health issue. This information has to inform a new, all-of-government response.

Crucially, any actions should be developed in conjunction with the incredible sexual violence support services across the country. From the Sexual Violence Centre in Cork to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, these organisations help thousands of people annually. They can offer invaluable insights and direction for a Government response. Significantly, they have already provided the Minister of State and the Government with advice on what needs to be done. Every year these organisations release recommendations, briefing papers, research reports and pre-budget submissions. These can and should be used to shape Government policy and resource allocation. I examined a selection of these many documents and there are common threads among all of them which I want to highlight today.

First, there is the need to ensure that our public services have the staff and capacity to respond to sexual violence. Survivors and victims of sexual violence can present at any number of services from GP offices and accident and emergency departments to Garda stations and housing offices. Staff in these areas need to have sufficient training to react appropriately to immediate disclosures, and then to be able to refer the individuals to specialist services, if required. For example, the six sexual assault treatment units and their outreach services do incredible work in treating and helping victims who are in a highly vulnerable state. There was a rise of almost 25% in the number of people using these services last year. A greater geographical spread would help address this serious social and criminal issue. There is a clear need for these centres, and the trend shows that a roll-out of these services will help more people.

The CSO survey also highlights the need for long-term impacts. One in five adults has experienced unwanted contact sexual violence as a child. Research shows that childhood sexual abuse can have significant negative psychological outcomes, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression. Simultaneously, our mental health services are threadbare. Waiting lists are unacceptably long. Figures from January show that the child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, team for the south Lee area, which includes Bandon and Kinsale, had a waiting list of 349 children and young people, with 149 waiting over a year. The recent report from the Ombudsman for Children highlights major problems in the mental health services for children and teenagers. It provides a damning assessment of how CAMHS is operating. We need to have a public mental health system that can support and help children, young people and adults experiencing sexual violence.

Second, rape crisis centres, domestic violence support organisations and others desperately need improved investment. We all know the invaluable work they do annually on shoestring budgets. They do as much as possible, often with paid staff and volunteers going above and beyond every week, and this is thanks to donations from the wider community. The West Cork Women Against Violence Project provides so many different services for people in west Cork, including a crisis helpline, a drop-in service, court accompaniments and a safe house. In 2021, its contacts rose by over 30% to 3,369 and it noted that the complexity of circumstances it encountered had given rise to extensive levels of support work. This is just one organisation in one part of the country that has relied heavily on donations and philanthropists. The difference this organisation makes is genuinely lifesaving and life changing.

The Government needs to ensure these organisations are properly funded. The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, in its recent pre-budget submission, pointed out that rape crisis centre health services are underfunded, with a failure to reverse austerity cuts. While other public services gradually have had their staff pay and conditions restored, Tusla-funded services have not. This restricts their capacity to provide vital services. Rape Crisis Network Ireland has highlighted that there are hundreds of survivors on waiting lists for counselling. In July 2021, this number stood at 967 survivors, with 556 waiting more than a year. Moreover, insufficient funding of these organisations means there are pay disparities between healthcare professionals, such as expert therapists, in the HSE and other organisations. The Minister of State is more than aware of the larger issues created by the underfunding of section 39 organisations, Tusla-funded section 56 organisations and for section 10 homeless services. This is causing recruitment and retention issues in sexual violence organisations. The CSO survey has revealed the scale of the issue. Support organisations are central to any response, and they must be funded properly.

Third, there is the need for a cultural shift. This is another point that has been raised again and again. These statistics are not possible without cultural and social systems that permit them and that protect perpetrators. In almost 80% of cases the perpetrator is known to the victim. No one likes to confront these realities, but these heinous crimes are being carried out by partners or former partners, family friends, colleagues and relations. The report on sexual assault and bullying in the Defence Forces shows how this culture is institutionally facilitated, while the very public shows of support for convicted rapists reveal the ugly and disturbing side of social networks.

I have repeatedly urged the Government to accelerate the implementation of curriculum reforms around sexual and relationship education. Teachers and schools need to be properly assisted to implement these programmes and any external bodies teaching this subject must be committed to factual, evidence-based approaches. Already, some groups are scrambling for exemptions from this vital education. In the face of what we know about sexual violence, I cannot think of any good reason to deny a child or young person access appropriate knowledge. Education does not just stop in school. The West Cork Women Against Violence Project, for example, runs awareness and training programmes. This is the type of model that should be rolled out through community organisations all over the country to help everyone learn about this serious issue.

The CSO sexual violence survey needs to lead to real understanding and actions to address this endemic issue. I accept that strategies and programmes are in place and that the survey has come about as a result of a request from the Department of Justice and the Government. It is very clear, however, that more needs to be done. We need more public services to be able adequately to support victims and survivors, the NGOs doing vital work on behalf of the State need to be resourced fully and we must do everything possible to bring about a serious, national conversation and a cultural shift around sexual violence. We all know the scale of the issue; the Government has a responsibility and obligation to respond by investing in public services and we all have a duty to contribute to this long overdue cultural change.

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