Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, to the House. It is my first opportunity since he was appointed Minister of State to formally congratulate him. He has already hit the ground running with his very important junior ministerial role. I wish him well and continued success with that.

I tabled this Commencement matter following a Clare FM "Morning Focus" investigation into domestic violence and abuse in County Clare. For a week after Christmas, Clare FM carried interviews with people involved in the Rape Crisis Midwest, specifically people involved in the services in County Clare, and spoke to victims of sexual abuse. I would like to take this opportunity to commend the two victims who went on the record and shared their stories with Ms Fiona McGarry and Mr. Gavin Grace on Clare FM. Their bravery is going to give other people encouragement to come forward and speak out.

During the week long Clare FM investigation into sexual abuse in Clare, the issue of funding for the Rape Crisis Midwest was starkly illustrated. There is a service in County Clare and I would like to commend the people involved for that. Unfortunately, in 2016, there were a number of a weeks where the service being provided in Ennis had to be suspended due to funding issues. The private sector came on board to provide funding to redevelop the office and ensure there were adequate office facilities and rooms where people who had been abused could have counselling and where people working with Rape Crisis Midwest could do the very important work they do in a comfortable and safe environment.

The Rape Crisis Midwest has to do extensive fund-raising to bridge a gap that exists between the funding that it is getting from the State and the funding required to run the service. Unfortunately, in 2016, there were pressures on the service and there was an unfortunate period of time where the service could not be provided due to lack of resources. This should not happen again and the service should be available in Ennis all the time. That should be guaranteed. Funding should not be an issue for providing the service in Ennis, County Clare.

Rape Crisis Midwest has also identified the need to provide counselling services and supports in other parts of Clare, specifically in west Clare. It has proposals to establish an outreach service in the Kilrush area of County Clare, which would serve all west Clare, as a starting point for expanding the service and ensuring that more people who have been the victims of sexual abuse will come forward and seek the necessary counselling to help in the healing process.

There are many victims out there who have not spoken to anybody and who are suffering in silence on a daily basis. I encourage victims all over the country but, in particular, in County Clare, about which we are speaking, to go to the Rape Crisis Network, seek its services and engage with it, and life will begin to improve.

I appeal to the Minister to provide the necessary funding so that the Rape Crisis Midwest can keep its facility in Ennis open all year round and also provide the very important outreach services that it has identified a need for in west Clare.