Rape and sexual assault victims in the south-east still face lengthy delays before seeing a doctor, four years after a Government report recommended action on the issue.
A shortage of trained GPs in some parts of the region can leave victims waiting for many hours for a forensic examination, according to Sheila Vereker, director of the Waterford Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre.
"Rape is an extremely traumatic experience. An indefinite wait in a strange environment adds considerably to the distress of the victim," she said.
The centre, along with the four other rape crisis centres in the south-east, are lobbying for the establishment of a sexual assault treatment unit at Waterford Regional Hospital, where trained staff would be available to cater for a victim's medical and psychological needs as well as carry out a forensic examination.
Discussions have been held with the South Eastern Health Board, and further talks are planned.
Ms Vereker said the 1997 Report of the Task Force on Violence Against Women had recommended that "systems should be established to ensure that in cases of rape and sexual assault all necessary medical procedures are carried out in a timely, expert and sympathetic manner". Yet in one recent case in Co Waterford, a victim had had to wait seven hours before being seen by a GP.
Rape crisis centres in the region had sought GPs who were willing to be trained for such work last year, said Ms Vereker, but while there had been a good response in some areas only one had come forward in the Waterford area.
Assault victims were sometimes taken to hospital casualty departments where the service needed was not available, so they had to return to a Garda station to wait for a doctor.
In a statement, the South Eastern Health Board said initial discussions with "key stakeholders" had taken place on the possibility of setting up a designated unit at Waterford Regional Hospital for victims of sexual assault.
"To date, due to the complexities involved, no final decisions have been made."