The number of victims of sexual abuse seeking the services of support agency One In Four increased by one-third last year.
In its report for 2006, One In Four says 1,991 people accessed its services, an increase of 33 per cent on 2005 when record numbers sought its services following the publication of the Ferns Report on clerical abuse.
While the number of victims seeking therapy continues to increase, clients can wait up to 12 months to access psychotherapy services and there are currently 82 people on their waiting list, said One In Four director Colm O'Gorman.
Slightly more men than women were receiving therapy through One In Four last year, with 186 men (53 per cent) engaged in one-to-one therapy sessions compared to 168 women (47 per cent). The vast majority of perpetrators of abuse remained men.
While statistics show abusers are most likely to be family members, the largest proportion of those seeking the help of One In Four had been abused by members of the clergy (26 per cent).
Mr O'Gorman said victims of sexual abuse were being badly served by the criminal justice system, and more resources needed to be put into supporting victims and treating perpetrators.
Only three in 1,000 sexual offences perpetrated upon a child in Ireland resulted in prosecution.
