Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

You are a man after my own heart, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I apologise for missing the slot. I was watching for other speakers who were before me.

I am happy to speak on the Bill tonight. All of us in the House know that Deputy O'Sullivan is a person of integrity and her commitment to issues of social justice here and abroad is well-recognised. I have every confidence that the Bill Deputy O'Sullivan has placed before the House is measured and reasonable legislation that seeks to adopt sane and logical restrictions on the free movement of those convicted of certain classes of offences. It is necessary and timely to have a debate around this area.

It appals everyone that people commit or perpetrate such crimes. Those of us who have studied the matter to any depth know that these are devious people who seek to confuse, mislead and cover their tracks. They go to all rounds to commit their heinous crimes.

It is absolutely staggering to read the statistics relating to international child sexual abuse. Indeed, the more one reads the numbers involved, the more we see what a nightmare it truly is for so many children and young people. According to the research conducted by UNICEF in 38 low and middle-income countries, close to 17 million adult women report having experienced forced sex as children. The volume, sheer numbers, pain and anguish behind the figure beggars belief.

I compliment UNICEF and other non-governmental organisations and agencies that do so much work in this field to attempt to get some rein on the scope of the crimes. In 28 countries in Europe, approximately 2.5 million young women report experiences of contact and non-contact forms of sexual violence before the age of 15. It is truly horrendous. Children should enjoy being children and have childhood experiences in life. Many of those affected are from traumatised countries where there is war, famine and God knows what else. Then they have these vile acts perpetrated on them.

Recently, I spoke on a Bill relating to the United Nations. Thankfully, our people were exonerated in inquiries. However, some people have gone into some areas to save people, keep the peace and give hope and solace to people in war-torn areas. Some of these people have violated and broken the very trust placed in them because of the uniform and because they represented the United Nations. They were supposed to be there to help out rather than violate people and commit crimes against them.

Of course this type of sexual violence is not restricted to victims who are girls or young women. In one year alone, the World Health Organization estimated that 73 million boys under 18 years of age experienced forced sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual violence.

If the Bill can in any way help to combat or reduce these horrific statistics then we must all support it. As I said, Deputy O'Sullivan has a track record in this area. She has travelled to many areas as a member of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence and is passionate about what she does.

There will be concerns about the appropriate balancing of rights and restrictions. However, I believe that in such serious, intolerable, vile and nasty crimes we should forget the balance sometimes. I do not mean that literally but we must tilt the balance in favour of the victims. Too often, we fail to do that. I believe that given the vast scale of the problem and the fact that the Bill provides for judicial oversight, the right balance has been struck.

I realise the courts system is clogged up.

We as legislators need some solace in respect of ensuring people will not travel from this country with no other intent but to commit heinous and desperate crimes. We must have restrictions.

I commend Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan and her staff on the excellent work they have put into this Bill and other legislation. I look forward to supporting it here and on different Stages of the legislative process. It is a pity the Government has seen fit to put down amendments to it to hold it up. We cannot open up the floodgates and throw away respect for the rule of law. We cannot have that.

I notice lately, and I discussed this with Deputy Clare Daly this evening, that a mob law culture has emerged with respect to people who are convicted for these crimes in this country and who have served their punishment and done their time. I do not like the mob law culture that has developed in some areas whereby these people have arrived in an area or where they have been relocated or housed. Those people have committed the crime, horrible as it is, and served their time. The court system saw fit to punish them and they have served their time. If they had done that, they are now back out as innocent people, provided they are being monitored. I do not like the mob law we see on Facebook and other social media, which is terrorising some of those people, threatening to burn them out and with all kinds of behaviour. Two wrongs do not make a right. It is important we maintain and respect the rule of law. I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for allowing me to speak on this Bill.

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