Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

This issue has been raised previously and is not new to the Minister. I am not expecting anything by Friday but asking the Minister to seriously consider it. There is a problem with existing legislation. One can impose no contact if somebody gets a barring order but this is about a person who may not have been in an intimate relationship with the other person. The person might have just started the process. That person cannot get a barring order. In addition, as Jessica Bowes pointed out on "Prime Time", receiving bunches of flowers and declarations of undying love cannot be reported to a garda as breaching the barring order. Ms Bowes had a barring order in place. The contact increases, then it becomes more menacing and there is a cumulative effect, as I mentioned.

I disagree with the Minister. The Dáil has been balefully slow in responding to this issue. There have been huge protests. There is the global #MeToo movement, there were the #IBelieveHer" marches in Dublin last year and the "This is not consent" protest with regard to a thong. What have we changed since then? There will be a second Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland, SAVI, study, which the Minister should have agreed to sooner and which will take five years to complete. The measure I have proposed could be enacted quickly. I ask the Minister to meet women who have experienced this behaviour and to have the Department examine my proposal.

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