Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Minister was in the Seanad yesterday to debate Committee Stage of the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2022. Senators Chambers, Doherty and I are co-signatories of that Bill. Senator Doherty did considerable work on that, as did Noeline Blackwell of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre. Key to that Bill is that we allow character witnesses to be cross-examined. They come before a judge after someone has been found guilty. It is about ensuring that they can be cross-examined. We know there is a very low incidence of reporting cases of rape and sexual assault and subsequently of people following through and going through court procedures. I know the Minister is doing significant work on that. I ask her to ensure that the Bill progresses through the Dáil with Government support or to incorporate the elements of the Bill into her own legislation.