Rape Crisis Centre appeals for increase in funding

THE Waterford Rape Crisis Centre has called for an increased level of government funding after revealing that victims of rape and sexual abuse must wait four months for support services.

While post-rape victims are seen with no delay, the Waterford Rape Crisis Centre revealed yesterday it has been forced to prioritise clients due to a lack of resources.

“Our waiting list is between three and four months, we need to employ more counsellors,” manager Sheila Vereker explained.

While the service employs two full-time and one part-time counsellor, it relies on volunteers and counsellors employed on an hourly-basis to cope with the demand for services in the city.

“When people come to us it has taken a lot of courage,” said Ms Vereker. “We do see people for a first session to do an initial assessment, but we then feel really bad when we have to ask them to wait to come back.”

Each week the centre sees an average of 45 people, over 20% of whom are male.

The clients are victims of sexual violence, rape, marital rape and adult survivors of child sexual abuse. At present the Waterford centre must make up a €40,000 shortfall in its €170,000 annual budget “just to survive” through local fundraising activities.

“We got the same funding in 2003 and 2004, which took no account of cost of living increases, increased salary costs and costs of insurance, electricity and capital works,” said Ms Vereker.

Fiona Neary, executive director of the Rape Crisis Centre Network of Ireland (RCNI) said the situation in Waterford is a “local experience of a national problem.”

“People called the Rape Crisis Centre at Christmas and got a helpline, not a human being,” she said. “These people sometimes do not call back.”

She called on the Government to make a “once off” jump in funding of €7m available to properly staff and fund services for victims of sexual violence.

The RCNI and representatives from other services representing victims of domestic and sexual violence will meet Minister for Finance Brian Cowen on February 15 to seek additional funding for their work.

According to the RCNI, 41% of all women and 28% of men are affected by some form of sexual violence.

The service can be contacted 24 hours a day on freephone 1800 296 296.