Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

I do not doubt that the Minister has introduced measures and will introduce further measures. However, the point the journalist in question was making is that Deputies jump up and down in the Dáil, quite rightly, about violence against the elderly in rural areas and so forth but do not jump up and down to the same extent about the epidemic of women being targeted and murdered. We must call out the toxic masculinity that is bred and reinforced by society, whereby men are encouraged to think they should be dominant, aggressive and seek to control women.

Alongside the measures to which the Minister referred, we need a criminal law that makes an offence of domestic violence. We also need emergency out of hours barring orders and legislation against stalking, which should be a ground for seeking a protection order. As we saw in the case to which I referred, stalking is an indication of more serious danger. In addition, protection orders should be served by the Garda rather than victims, the right of a possible perpetrator to interrogate a victim must be removed and child contact centres must be established. A slew of measures is required.

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