Marie Moloney (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I also wish to add my voice of sympathy to the families of those who were killed and injured in Berkeley today. It is really bad news that is just winding its way through Ireland at present. I also wish to stand with the workers of Clerys. While I was unable to attend their protest today, I stand foursquare behind them and my sympathy goes out to all those who found themselves out of a job overnight, or in a matter of minutes, really. As spokesperson on social protection, I will work closely with the Minister to ensure the workers will be able to avoid the hassle and grief of applying for their redundancy, that it is fast-tracked and that their social welfare payments are put in place as quickly as possible.

The Cathaoirleach should forgive me for raising a matter that was raised last week, but I was off with a medical issue. I can tell him it did me no good to hear from the media that funding for Rape Crisis Network Ireland was being withdrawn by Tusla last week. The entire health budget was €13.1 billion, out of which Tusla was given a budget of €609 million. Cumulatively, 16 rape crisis centres and Rape Crisis Network Ireland received €4.2 million of that, which is just 0.7% of the overall health budget. It would be an absolute disgrace were funding to be withdrawn from these centres, which are absolutely invaluable to women in particular, because it is predominantly women who are raped and sexually abused. However, according to the Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland, SAVI, report, one in five girls and one in six boys experience sexual abuse as children. For adults, the figures are even worse, as 42% of women experience some form of sexual abuse and 10% are raped, while 28% of men endure some form of sexual abuse and 3% are raped. These are frightening figures and it is terrible to have the funding withdrawn.

I come from County Kerry, where the sexually transmitted infections, STI, clinic was closed down and transferred to Cork. If one looks up the telephone number for the STI clinic in County Kerry, it is care of an 021 number, which is a Cork number, and consequently, people in Kerry do not even have that. Although the clinic visits regularly, there is a third level institution in County Kerry and there should be a permanent STI clinic. I acknowledge and welcome that the forensics and the experts are in Cork, but when a person has been raped or sexually abused, he or she really needs to speak to someone locally, and the rape crisis centre is obviously a port of call for such people. Consequently, although this may have been sought last week, I reiterate that call for the Minister to come to the House and explain to Members why this funding was withdrawn and the reasoning behind it.