Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Some commentators have described image-based sexual abuse as revenge porn. Of course, it is nothing of the sort. Revenge? Revenge for what? Is it for breaking up with someone? Is it pornography, when the person concerned never consented to the sharing of the image? In some cases the person never consented to the picture being taken in the first place. We need to stop victim blaming and we need to stop the language of victim blaming. The finger has to be pointed here at the creeps who harvested these images and then put them up online. The finger must also be pointed at State.

In New York when an image-based sexual abuse scandal broke legislation was strengthened within 24 hours. Here in Ireland, the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill has been stuck in these Houses of the Oireachtas for a full three years with zero action or urgency from Government parties. The wheels seem to be beginning to move now but the pressure needs to be kept up. It took pressure from below on the streets of this country to start the change that resulted in the Repeal the Eighth campaign. Congratulations to Megan, the young woman who started the mass petitioning on this issue, and good luck to the organisers of the online protest on Saturday week. I hope that supporters of change can and do take to the streets on this issue very soon.

See this speech in context