A shortage of doctors willing to perform forensic examinations for victims of sexual assault in Limerick could result in vital evidence for future court cases being lost.
The Director of Public Health for the Mid-Western Health Board, Dr Kevin Kelleher, said there were problems recruiting doctors.
"If a victim presents seeking medical treatment, this will be provided by whichever hospital the victim presents to. However, if a request is made solely for forensic examination, our medical staff have indicated this is not their responsibility, but that of a trained forensic medical practitioner, employed or contracted by the garda∅.
In the past, some medical staff would have carried out examinations for the garda∅ but this was no longer so.