Dáil debates

Thursday, 18 November 2021

Sex Offenders (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed)

 

3:45 pm

Photo of Ruairi Ó MurchúRuairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome that this Bill has been brought forward and I add my voice to that of others in that regard. I have spoken to Rape Crisis Network Ireland and to other experts in the field, of which there are many given the subject nature we are dealing with. We all accept the reality that we need to put this on a better footing to ensure all necessary community organisations are aware of the issues around people who pose a danger to children and society. We are talking about people who have been convicted of some of the most heinous crimes. I agree with an awful lot of what has been said earlier, that we need to deal with the victim, across all crimes, in a better and more coherent way. Often when you talk to people they tell you about being retraumatised and about being unaware of events, particularly in the judicial system. That can lead to real problems. That is even true in situations where the prosecution's case works properly and the person who has committed the crime is found guilty.

I mention the framework for protecting people who have suffered brutal attacks, whether we are talking about child sex abuse or rape. We know in a lot of cases the protective framework people avail of is the NGO sector, including a rape crisis centre or the likes of Womens Aid in Dundalk. Since I have mentioned it I point out that Womens Aid in Dundalk is carrying out a fundraiser of 16 days of action and a 5 km walk. It is taking place between 25 November and 10 December so I will have to get myself a bit fitter if I decide to do a bit more than walking on those days. It is a vital organisation doing vital work. I am always worried when such an organisation has to go to this level of fundraising. These organisations exist because they fill necessary gaps the State does not deal with.

I welcome this Bill. Parts of it will need to be looked at. We can talk about monitoring all we want but we must have the ICT systems and training for gardaí in place. I welcome the changes that have happened. The protective services unit that has been set up in Castlebellingham in recent years has been successful in dealing with domestic violence but we still have a long way to go.

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