Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join others in welcoming our guests. As Senator Craughwell has done, I particularly welcome Ms Owen who I had the privilege of working alongside in the past. I know from that experience that she has significant energy. When I go abroad, and within the Council of Europe, I am asked about Ms Owen's Criminal Assets Bureau legislation all the time. It has been studied by countries throughout Europe and implemented in some instances. It was a precursor and a trailblazer.

I will quickly ask a few questions in deference to the time consideration. I could not attend earlier because of Seanad duties but I know the context from what I have picked up on here and I have read the briefing materials and initial submissions. Deputy Clarke raised the question of how Covid has impacted negatively on women and set their rights back a lot. I will focus on one dimension of this which I would like further comment on from guests. I am involved with another international body and my understanding is that the education of women has taken a huge setback internationally. What has happened is very disturbing. The education of young women has been set back in that it has ceased in many instances and has been thwarted in others.

I wish to ask Ms Owen about Palestine, which she referred to in her opening remarks. We are happy as a committee that the oversight group has hands-on involvement there. I will not chronicle the shocking events in Palestine. It is good that the group is involved in the prevention of gender-based violence there. I wish to ask Ms Owen about the cultural context there. Is it valid to say that western values, in terms of women's rights, gender balance and gender equality, do not pertain to the entire region to the same degree? Is cultural negativity towards women, which is apart from the violence, which needs overcoming being encountered? In her opening remarks, Ms Owen referred to masculinisation in the Defence Forces.

I would like her to comment further on that and on how she perceives young women who join the Defence Forces. What are their operational day-to-day lives like and are there any in-built discriminatory practices? Do they experience any subtle or gender-based discrimination? I would be interested in that.

The horrible, shocking and barbaric practice of female genital mutilation was referenced in the submission. Will the witnesses comment further on where we are at with that issue? That leads neatly to my question about direct provision centres. There is a Government commitment to get rid of them. Will the witnesses comment on the position of women in these centres?

I am trying to be deferential to the Chair's wish to get on with things. It is very good that the witnesses are involved in this, but Ireland has a strong position on sexual violence in the Tigray region. I ask one of the guests to elaborate on the most recent position in Tigray. What we are reading and hearing about from that region is beyond words and human description. I welcome our guests and thank the Chair for the opportunity to contribute.