An average of one person a day was raped or sexually assaulted in December, new figures reveal.
Thirty men and women were brought to the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) at Dublin's Rotunda Hospital by volunteers from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) last month.
It said that on the nights of December 22nd and 29th, both Saturdays, eight people were brought to the Unit with one woman coming from Donegal for examination.
DRCC chief executive Ellen O'Malley-Dunlop said: "It is very worrying to see the increase in the levels of violence which is now accompanying these attacks.
"It is also a huge concern that in some cases the perpetrators of these crimes are not operating alone. Sometimes the perpetrators are in twos and threes," she said.
More than 50 calls were made to the DRCC's helpline between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.
Before Christmas the centre published stay-safe tips for revellers over the festive season to which it is urging people to continue to pay heed.
These include not accepting drinks from strangers, to share taxis and not to get separated from your group and make sure your mobile is charged at all times.
The DRCC 24-hour helpline is 1800 778888.