Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

Christmas should be a happy time for families and everybody, but unfortunately it is a time when violence against women flares up in a dramatic way. It is a time when, according to Women's Aid, fear, intimidation, casual cruelty, sudden flashes of violence, threats to the well-being of children and the use of children as pawns to control and intimidate are rife. Unfortunately, this is what faces many women over the next few weeks.

The statistics that have been cited are shocking, but they are probably even higher than we believe. Internationally, at least one in three women - up to 1 billion women - have been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in their lifetime. In Ireland, one in four or one in five women have been victims of domestic violence. It is a serious concern that rather than an improvement in the situation, the problem seems to be getting worse. In a survey carried out in the United Kingdom, one in four teenagers reported they had experienced violence from their boyfriends or partners. This is a huge problem and society must blow it open and discuss it seriously.

Violence is not just physical. Psychological, sexual and financial violence against women are as serious as physical violence. They may not sound as serious, but imagine what it is like to be threatened that your house will be set on fire or your partner will commit suicide, or to be continually blamed, stalked, harassed, called names or imprisoned in your house and not allowed to use a car etc. These are all forms of psychological violence.

As an example of violence on a wider basis, some 55% of women have been sexually harassed in their workplace. This indicates the level of violence against women in society. The Minister may have seen a video that has gone viral showing a woman walking down a street in New York and of the intimidation and casual abuse she suffered from men who had no compunction about comments they made to her. I am not saying this is similar to what happens in Ireland, but I would hazard a guess that it does happen to many women.

It is appalling that one in eight pregnant women experience violence; pregnancy can be a trigger for a man to be violent to a woman. We must move away from an exclusive focus on the victim.

We should stop looking at why she leaves and why she puts up with it to reduce our victim blame culture, which is endemic in society, even among women. There has to be zero tolerance of violence against women of any kind. It should not be excused, minimised or put in a context, etc. Perhaps society needs to open a discussion on the clever nature of violent men. In a report by John Hennessy in 2012 entitled "How he Gets into Her Head - the Mind of the Male Intimate Abuser", he contended that violent men are more skilful and determined than most paedophiles and they manipulate and groom women to be victims of violence in the future. It is important to understand that.

Ireland has the highest failure rate in Europe for meeting women's needs when they seek help. We only have one third of the refuge places required and an array of other supports are also needed. Austerity and the homelessness crisis is worsening the position. It is impossible to give women advice and to find places for them to go. For example, the refuges in Dundalk and Wexford have been subject to cuts.

I welcome the Minister's announcements regarding liaison officers in Garda districts and so on. I have experienced the lack of availability of gardaí in Blanchardstown to respond to breaches of barring orders when no cars were available. Ongoing cuts to Garda resources are also exacerbating the problem.

Capitalism breeds violence because as long as women are economically and socially subservient to men in a system, they will be victims of violence. The rape culture we have witnessed in popular culture is worrying and it deserves much more discussion than the few minutes devoted to this debate.

See this speech in context