Lynn Ruane (Independent)
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I thank the Minister for Justice and Equality for taking this matter. I am raising the issue of the second Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland, SAVI, report which his Government has committed to, and which will investigate and survey the levels of sexual violence and abuse experienced by men and women in Ireland.

It has been 16 years since the first SAVI report was published in 2002, and in light of just how much our understanding of sexual violence has changed since then, it is high time we updated the State data and considered the issue and the realities on the ground once more.It has been 16 years since the first Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland, SAVI, report was published in 2002 and, in light of just how much our understanding of sexual violence has changed since then, it is high time we updated the State data and looked at the realities on the ground once more. Breda Allen, in the opening words of the 2002 SAVI report, stated that, "This is a groundbreaking study, the importance of which cannot be overestimated." These words have only grown truer in the past decade and a half, especially in light of recent developments in the #MeToo movement and the breaking of a powerful and shaming silence, allowing women to come forward and speak about the abuse of power and sexual harassment they have experienced.

The Minister will be aware that figures released this week from the Rape Crisis Centre showed an increase of 10% in the reporting of sexual crimes in the past year. However, even this increase is only part of the picture as we all know that huge numbers of sex crimes go unreported. The need for another SAVI report to give us an accurate picture on the ground of the experiences of survivors of sexual violence in this country is very important and I hope the Minister is able to confirm a timeline and details of how this will happen today.

We keep sharing our stories, baring our souls, laying ourselves bare for all to see. We risk questions and judgments and we hope that no one pokes away at the emotional scars our sexual assaults have left us with. I carried a shame that was not mine for five years before I told anyone what happened to me and I waited another three years before I went to the Rape Crisis Centre. I am not alone. Do not let the laying bare of all we have endured be for nothing.

For the last two weeks since I shared what happened to me on RTÉ, I have been inundated with hundreds of letters and mails from women and girls from every part of this island. Some sat in their sitting rooms with their families and as I said those words, "I was raped" they found themselves saying the same, for the very first time, in the seconds after I spoke. That is the power of sharing. The Minister has the ability and the resources to take those experiences and transform them into action.

Some people may never be able to speak to another person about their experience of sexual assault, much less a garda. However, just because people cannot report, does not mean they should be invisible. We need a survey that goes into communities, that can reach survivors in their own surroundings and translate their experiences, their pain in sharing that part of themselves into a better understanding of the realities of sexual violence, the barriers to accessing law enforcement, medical and therapeutic services for those abused and their families and how the State can do better and respond to these needs. That is what I am calling for today and I hope the Minister is able to share the steps he and his Department will be taking to start the second SAVI process and begin a better understanding and national conversation about sexual violence, survivors and their experiences. I thank the Minister.

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I very much welcome the opportunity to address this important topic raised by Senator Ruane and I congratulate her on her recent publication. I acknowledge her courage and bravery in the many interviews and public engagements she has undertaken in recent weeks. It is my belief that she has started a national conversation and, as Minister for Justice and Equality, I very much welcome that and thank her for it. I ask her to continue in that vein.

My Government colleagues and I are totally committed to preventing and addressing sexual violence in Ireland. It is extremely important to me and to the Government that policy is driven by accurate, up-to-date, reliable data. Knowledge and information are essential to making effective policies to prevent and combat sexual violence.

The SAVI report was a fundamental piece of research and its results had a significant impact, both at the time of its publication in 2002 and since. Late last year, the Government decided that a scoping study should be undertaken to see just what the situation was regarding data available for the development of policy in this particularly sensitive area and to assess if there were gaps in the data available for policy formulation. To this end, as the Senator may be aware, the Government agreed to establish a scoping group to consider the availability of data and make recommendations on a study to identify the prevalence of sexual abuse and violence in Ireland today, as well as emerging trends. The group was made up of experts and relevant Department officials and was chaired by Professor Dorothy Watson, associate research professor, ESRI, and adjunct professor of sociology at Trinity College Dublin. Presentations and submissions from key non-governmental organisations were made to the group at its first meeting and subsequent submissions from representative groups were also made and presented to the scoping group for their consideration.

In line with the group’s terms of reference and work plan, the group’s academic members completed a paper on data points relevant to sexual violence. During this work, other relevant international surveys were reviewed and cross-referenced to identify gaps in the original data points and address those gaps by adding new data points and variables not present in the SAVI study. The group considered this paper and it ultimately became a core element of the group’s report. The group also considered survey methodology, ethical considerations, the feasibility of periodic data collection over time and data protection issues. The group has since submitted its draft report to my office for consideration.

This work is extremely complex and requires careful consideration of the sensitivities and practicalities involved. A further piece of technical work is being completed by my Department to enable me to bring proposals to Cabinet. I expect to be in a position to do this in a matter of weeks. Once the report has been considered by Government it will be possible to be more specific about its recommendations. I acknowledge the importance of this issue and I acknowledge what the Senator has said. I am very keen to report progress on this matter over the course of the next couple of months.

Lynn Ruane (Independent)
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My question relates to the scoping exercise, which is very important and which I welcome. I know that organisations which work with survivors have been involved but I am concerned that a huge amount of data from women who never access services are missing from the report of the scoping exercise. This is because so much is not reported. Much still needs to be done by way of a public consultation on sexual violence so that we can gather some of that data as they will not be accessible to us via academia or those on the scoping group. The Minister says he will get a commitment from the Cabinet on whether it can publish the specific recommendations of the group. Is it possible to have something else that would enable us to reach the people to whom I referred? Like me, up until now they would never have spoken out loud about their experience but they may be prepared to fill out an anonymous survey and that would give us a clearer picture.

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am very pleased that this debate is taking place and I thank Senator Ruane for engaging on it. I am here, as Minister, to hear her views and take her advices on the issue. I will do that because sexual violence is a sensitive issue and a gross violation of the individual, not only physically but psychologically and emotionally. Due to the complexities, undertaking a survey into the prevalence of sexual violence raises a lot of issues. The scoping group has given preliminary consideration to the key issues and further intensive work is now under way to resolve a number of technical issues. I am sure Senator Ruane will agree that it is important that any survey which is undertaken will take full account of the care due to individuals who will be answering questions of great sensitivity, as well as to those who actually conduct the survey. It is also essential to have a sufficiently large number of respondents to any survey so that we will be able to draw statistically robust conclusions.

Once the outstanding technical matters are resolved, I will bring proposals to Government and I expect to do so shortly. Once the report has been considered by the Government, it will be possible to be more specific about the recommendations but, in the meantime, I would be very happy to engage further with Members of the Seanad. I very much welcome their views.