Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to continue on that. The reason members might focus on that is because many of the recommendations of the Citizens' Assembly on Gender Equality were about tackling issues where gender made a significant difference. There is no doubt that women suffer domestic violence far more than man. That is not to say that men do not experience violence; of course they do. If we are to address gender equality, we have to address issues such as how we handle domestic violence, and tone is important in every part of how we address it.

What we missed in focusing just on domestic violence, which I will come back to within my time, was a broader suggestion by IBEC that the amount of leave being provided, including parental leave and so on, was too broad and should be delayed and staggered. It was alarming that at a time when we are trying to address gender issues and the flexible working legislation, which is a huge step forward, employers were seeking to delay that. Perhaps IBEC might focus on that issue for the moment, before I come back to the domestic violence issue. Why was the principal employer body in the State trying to prevent such a crucial tool to address gender equality?