2026-02-17

In January this year, Ireland South MEP Kathleen Funchion and I met the midwest rape crisis centre in Limerick city. We all know the vital work these centres play in supporting those who have been subjected to gender, domestic and sexual violence. Their focus is on the survivor and what is best for them. Their supports range from therapy and counselling to support for court appearances. In some cases, the volunteers are simply a sounding board and confidant with whom survivors can share their stories. Meeting the executive director was a useful reminder for me of the important role these centres play. One of the concerns raised with me was that the rape crisis centre midwest has 80 people on its waiting list for counselling support. I hope in a follow-up with the Minister for Health she can liaise with it to help it reduce its waiting list. It must be difficult for those who have suffered such terrible attacks to have that trauma compounded by an absence of counselling support. What is of utmost concern to me is the absence of sexual assault trauma units in the midwest region. More concerning again is the response I received from the HSE to a parliamentary question last week when I queried this. It advised me that there are currently no plans to establish a sexual assault trauma unit, SATU, in Limerick. I appreciate that there is availability of forensic medical examination in University Hospital Limerick. However, this service is only available in the evening time when somebody presents at the hospital. There is no forensic medical examination available prior to 7 p.m. When a rape or sexual assault occurs in order to protect the integrity of the forensic evidence, the person against whom the crime was committed is advised not to change their clothes, shower, brush their teeth or go to the bathroom. To have suffered such an attack and have to remain as they are for hours afterwards, unable to shower or even brush their teeth seems to me to be a further layer of trauma that could be avoided if a sexual assault trauma unit was available nearby. If such a heinous crime occurs in Limerick during the morning hours, the assaulted person has limited options. They can wait until the evening to visit the forensic medical examination service or seek transfer to the nearest sexual assault trauma unit in Galway. What happens if a person cannot drive or is still processing the attack and not ready to share their experience with loved ones or a friend? Should they get the bus to Galway or sit in the clothes they were wearing until 7 p.m.? Unfortunately, for a lot of reasons sexual crime is under reported to An Garda Síochána. Due to the trauma of the attack people sometimes delay reporting such an incident to An Garda Síochána. The lack of a sexual assault trauma unit removes the opportunity for forensically collected evidence to be stored for up to a year, giving the survivor the ability to proceed with making a criminal complaint later, while simultaneously having access to medical assessment and medications. However, if you only to present to a forensic medical examiner you do not receive support services. You only get the use of a kit for evidence-gathering purposes. This is a fundamental difference in how survivors of sexual assaults are treated. A sexual assault trauma unit is patient-centred and fundamentally focused on the well-being of the patient. It is a more care-based service that provides necessary medication, health assessments and a forensic examination. People can access care without involving An Garda Síochána as sometimes they may not yet be ready to do. If you have access to a sexual assault trauma unit, you have a dedicated phoneline to call and it is open 24 hours, 365 days a year. If you are raped or sexually assaulted in Limerick, you can dial 999. Appreciating Limerick's central location within the mid-west region, and that it is a university city with three major campuses and just under 13,000 third-level students, it strikes me as appalling that no sexual assault trauma unit is stationed there for use by the wider mid-west. There are currently six sexual assault trauma units in the State. They are in Cork, Donegal, Galway, Mullingar, Waterford and Dublin. There is an urgent need for more and one should be located in Limerick.

I thank Deputy Quinlivan for raising this important topic and for the opportunity to speak on an issue of profound importance: timely, compassionate and specialist care for survivors of sexual assault. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. Responding to sexual violence is a responsibility which is shared across Government and Ireland’s sexual assault treatment units, SATUs, play an integral role in this. Across Ireland, there are six dedicated SATUs, located in Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Mullingar and Waterford, which the Deputy has referenced. In 2025, these units provided care for 1,077 people. The year 2025 saw a reversal in the slight downward trend in overall attendances of previous years, with the largest increase in attendance in Dublin, at 12%. SATUs aim to provide 24-7 access to forensic examinations, medical treatments and trauma-informed support within three hours. SATUs operate within a nationally agreed model of care, underpinned by defined multi-agency guidelines and referral pathways. They provide responsive, patient-centred care for people of all genders and gender identities aged 14 years and over who have experienced rape or sexual assault. Services are delivered in close partnership with key agencies, including Rape Crisis Ireland, An Garda Síochána and Tusla. SATUs offer a range of services, including options for people to access care without the need to engage with An Garda Síochána and for people to store evidence for up to one year, giving them time to consider their reporting intentions in more detail. The SATUs are geographically distributed to enable any patient nationally to access the service within a three-hour window, optimising both the health and criminal justice responses to sexual crimes. The Government has always been very clear that, regardless of the circumstances in which sexual violence has occurred, a victim of these crimes can and should report their experience to An Garda Síochána. Accessing a SATU within a three-hour timeframe is a HSE national key performance indicator for the service, with a target of 90%. This has been consistently achieved since 2018. The 24-7-365 nature of the SATU service necessitates ongoing monitoring of accessibility and a sustained focus on both infrastructure and workforce. In addition to accessing the Cork and Galway SATU services within the three-hour timeframe, those in the mid-west can avail of immediate forensic and medical support in Limerick which operates independently of the national SATU network and SATU governance structures. This service provides a local out-of-hours forensic medical examination service for individuals aged 14 years and over but does not currently provide health checks or options for storage of evidence. All patients must be accompanied by a member of An Garda Síochána, which initiates access to the service. Victims of sexual assault also have the option of calling the excellent frontline services provided by organisations such as Rape Crisis Ireland, which offers non-judgmental support, a listening ear and information. The work these organisations do in this difficult space must be commended. SATUs are a key element of the support available in the health sector to victims of rape and sexual assault and, while the demand for this service is unpredictable, it is monitored closely by the HSE. At a national level, the HSE is currently preparing an overview of the SATU infrastructure. This work is expected to inform the strategic healthcare investment framework alignment process and inform future steps. Did the Deputy say there were eight people on a waiting list for counselling?

There are 80.

It is maybe a matter that the Deputy could bring up with the Minister and we can follow up on it. The HSE is currently preparing a review of the SATU infrastructure. We can feed into that in terms of considering the matter the Deputy has put forward for Limerick.

I thank the Minister of State for his response. He knows the situation in UHL well. Those who arrive for the forensic medical examination that he mentioned are accompanied by a member of An Garda Síochána. Before they are even treated, people will know they are with the gardaí in the hospital. There is no privacy whatsoever and that has to change. The stark reality is that the service people in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary receive is less than that available to people living near other large cities. We need to ensure that all those who perpetrate such disgusting, violent and debased crimes face the full force of the law. Giving people the option to make a report at a later date can be a crucial part of this objective. A new €16 million surgical hub is being developed at the former Scoil Carmel site on O'Connell Avenue in Limerick. A sexual assault trauma unit could and should be established there. It would offer more privacy and, as the Minister of State knows, is literally around the corner from Rape Crisis Ireland's mid-west premises. After such trauma, people are not always yet ready to engage with the criminal justice system. Having access to a sexual assault trauma unit may allow more survivors to take the brave step of reporting their attacker to the Garda and allow those survivors the space to prepare for the often-arduous criminal justice journey. We need to support those navigating the criminal justice system after having been sexually assaulted. Forcing somebody who has survived a sexual assault to wait for an available room after the assault is no way that a survivor of domestic violence or any other sexual assault should be treated. It is time to put this right. Before we conclude, I want to note two things. If anyone watching tonight has been a victim of sexual violence, I urge them to speak to somebody about their experience. Organisations such as Rape Crisis Ireland have your best interests at heart. When they are ready to report the crime, they should think of An Garda Síochána or other authorities. When I spoke to survivors, I heard about the incredible support and compassion that was shown to them by trained members of An Garda Síochána. They are professionals, often in the divisional protective service unit, and will work closely to support victims. I commend those gardaí for their work. It must be emotionally challenging for them, and I hope they receive all of the necessary supports as they deal with difficult and horrible situations.

Once again, I thank the Deputy for raising this important topic. I join him in referencing the work done by Rape Crisis Ireland and specially trained gardaí. Will the Deputy come back to us on the 80 people waiting for counselling? As I stated earlier, I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. The Government remains committed to providing sexual assault treatment units across Ireland to offer safe and confidential services for people who experienced rape or sexual assault. There are six dedicated SATUs located in Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Mullingar and Waterford. SATUs operate within a nationally agreed model of care, underpinned by defined multi-agency guidelines and referral pathways. They provide responsive, patient-centred care for people of all genders and gender identities aged 14 years and over who have experienced rape or sexual assault. Services are delivered in close partnership with key agencies, including Rape Crisis Ireland, An Garda Síochána and Tusla. SATUs aim to provide 24-7 access to forensic examinations, medical treatments and trauma-informed support within three hours. Accessing a SATU within a three-hour timeframe is a HSE national key performance indicator for the service, with a target of 90%. This has been consistently achieved since 2018. The 24-7-365 nature of the SATU service necessitates ongoing monitoring of accessibility and a sustained focus on both infrastructure and workforce. In addition to accessing the Cork and Galway SATU services within the three-hour timeframe, those in the mid-west can avail of immediate forensic and medical support in Limerick, which operates independently of the national SATU network and SATU governance structures. At a national level, the HSE is currently preparing an overview of the SATU infrastructure. I will look to see that Deputy's proposal for an SATU in Limerick is fed into that review. This work is expected to inform the strategic healthcare investment framework alignment process and inform future steps. I expect the Deputy will follow this up with the HSE about this particular review in terms of including Limerick. The Government is committed to the provision of SATUs to ensure timely, compassionate specialist care for survivors of rape and sexual assault.