Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The work that was done by the Citizens' Assembly is to be welcomed and its members are to be congratulated for the work they did. Sinn Féin made a lengthy submission to the Citizens' Assembly and some of our ideas were represented in the final report. In the justice portfolio, I come across the issue of gender inequality very regularly, sometimes in relation to people who are before the courts charged with a crime but more often, unfortunately, as victims of crime. Many women in this city and in many urban areas fear going out after dark. That is a reflection of our society and is a way in which we have failed women. They should be encouraged and supported in every way possible to have the freedom of the streets the same as everyone else. That is something we need to do more about and ensure we put the provisions in place. There must be sufficient garda numbers to protect and police and ensure that everyone has freedom of movement across our city and everywhere else as well.

Issues of healthcare are regularly mentioned in relation to women's rights and equality, and salary scales and family care arrangements have also been mentioned. Childcare is something that we have failed with for many years. For generations it has been accepted that when it comes to caring in our society for some reason or other, whether that be care of the elderly or the young, women are put on the front line and are never rewarded for that or appreciated for it nearly enough. That is something we need to reflect on and we must change how we work and how we resolve those issues. While I am sure the Citizens' Assembly's work is going to kick-start some movement, for as long as I can remember we have been getting reports about equality, gender equality, gender rights and women's rights and yet we still have this issue and this problem. It is very clear that there has to be positive discrimination to ensure we put the resources in place and give the opportunity where it is needed. Indeed, this is often talked about within politics and there are quotas at the moment for elections to ensure more women get involved in politics and run for election. I would suggest that they be put up for election in constituencies where they have a chance of winning rather than just being put on the ticket. That is one of the things that has happened in the past. Our own party leader is an example of the success of women in politics, and there are many other women in other parties across this House who are strong, authentic voices, not just for women but for the entire society and community. The work of the Citizens' Assembly is moving us in the right direction and I certainly hope we see the fruitful gains of it.

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