A rape victim who had to travel 80km to a Sexual Assault Treatment Unit has said €500,000 funding for the service is not enough.
The money was provided after a report by the Department of Health found treatment clinics are under serious pressure as demand increases.
There are currently only six units in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Mullingar, Letterkenny and Waterford.
Dominique Meehan called for the opening of more clinics to help traumatised victims.
The 26-year-old, from Letterkenny, Co Donegal, was raped by Keith Hearne at the ArcadeCon Convention at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown in 2015. He was sentenced to 12 years behind bars.
After her horrific ordeal she had to travel from Dublin to Mullingar in Co Westmeath to be seen by a rape treatment clinic, something she doesn’t want any other victim to have to go through.
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She said: “I was told the only clinic in Dublin at the Rotunda Hospital wasn’t available so I had to travel to Mullingar.
“I was raped around 6pm and I didn’t get to Mullingar until 10pm and within those hours I couldn’t have a drink of water. I couldn’t go to the toilet because I had to wait until samples were taken. I had to sit in that filth.
“My initial reaction when I heard money was going to be given to the units was positive. But I stand by what I have told [Health Minister] Simon Harris before – we need more clinics and this money is not enough. We have an insufficient number of clinics to serve the country.”
Over the next two years it is planned to roll out a rapid response team that will attend to victims where there are staff shortages at the units.
But Ms Meehan added: “This response team can only go to your nearest SATU clinic, they’re not coming to your nearest hospital so it still doesn’t solve the problem, you’ll still have to travel.”
National medical director of SATU Dr Maeve Eogan said: “It is really important this care is provided within defined units because it’s really important DNA evidence is collected with integrity and the environments are forensically clean.”
Last year, around 1,000 patients used SATU services around the country.
Mr Harris admitted yesterday Ireland needs to do more to stamp out sexual violence which includes “societal action”.
