Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In terms of my amendment No. 79, the Minister has made a strong argument. There was no way that we want this information being handed over to the defence or anything like that. The aim of the amendment is to tackle the re-traumatisation of victims, as a result of some of their experiences in some of our courts, because of the way in which the Judiciary run the courts. I know the matter strays into other issues such as judicial counsels and all the rest. The desire was that if the judge was aware of the needs of a person and how vulnerable he or she was then the room for some of the most appalling things that have happened in our courts to recur would probably be lessened. I will withdraw my amendment for now and will consider how it might be dealt with on Report Stage. I would like this matter dealt with then. All of these amendments relate to how isolating the court experience can be for a victim who is, legally, present on his or her own. Nobody is there for him or her. In particular, cases of sexual violence and rape are very much more intimate and personal crimes and leave people feeling very vulnerable. In such cases the victim should be accompanied. I am aware that there is a provision that a victim can be accompanied but I do not see any harm in us specifying this aspect. I shall withdraw my amendment and return to it on Report Stage.