Michael McCarthy (Labour)

There is a report in this morning's Irish Examiner from Ms Niamh Nolan. I will paraphrase the first part of it. If one is raped or sexually assaulted in Ireland, she says, there is almost a 50-50 chance that one will not tell anyone. If one decides to report it to the Garda, there is only a one in four possibility that the DPP will choose to press charges. If the case makes it to court, there is a 40% possibility that the perpetrator will be acquitted.

Faced with these startling statistics, the Rape Crisis Centre maintains that almost 95% of such cases will not result in convictions. On that basis I add my voice to that of Deputy Costello who yesterday demanded the Government assign a particular portfolio to deal with the whole area of sexual and domestic violence. The Rape Crisis Centre depends for its funding at present on six Departments. That is not good enough. Given that we have a Minister for Health and Children as well as other specific portfolios in particular areas, this should be one of them. There should also be a Government-appointed task force to examine the rate at which such offences are occurring. Garda crime figures released recently show that sexual attacks on women was the area with the single largest increase in 2004. It is an issue that has, unfortunately, fallen off the political agenda in recent times. I hope the Leader will lobby the Ministers concerned and arrange a debate on that issue.