Two teenagers have been arrested in Co Kerry and taken for questioning about an alleged serious sexual assault on a young woman in Tralee early on Wednesday.
Gardaí said they were arrested under section 4 of the Criminal Law Act 1997 on suspicion of rape. Both are from Co Kerry.
The two males were being held at Garda stations in Tralee and in Killarney. Their period of detention was extended for a further six hours yesterday. Supt Pat Sullivan of Tralee said further arrests were pending.
The assault is alleged to have occurred early on Wednesday in the Boherbee/St Patrick's bungalows area near the town centre. Gardaí are appealing to anyone who was in the area between 2am and 7.30am on October 19th to contact them at (066) 7102300.
Mayor of Kerry Toireasa Ferris has called for a dedicated sexual assault unit at Kerry General Hospital.
Women and men who are sexually assaulted in Kerry must travel to Cork to the sexual assault unit at the South Infirmary Victoria Hospital, a two-hour journey from Tralee.
The Health Service Executive Southern Area said a sexual assault treatment unit was needed at Kerry General but it had not been given the staff levels or funding for it.
The director of the Kerry Rape Crisis Centre, Vera O'Leary, said €100,000 was needed to fund the unit, which operated on a part-time basis until a year ago.