Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-17
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Kieran O'Donnell (FG), Limerick City

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?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:38+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-17