Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are here today to speak about violence against women because a young woman with her whole life ahead of her was attacked and murdered in a manner that has shocked us to our core. Ashling Murphy could have lived in any community in this country. She could have been our daughter, sister or friend. The sad reality is that as women, we have grown up expecting to be on guard or feel vulnerable doing simple day-to-day tasks, whether that is walking alone at night, going for a run, waiting for a taxi or bus or sometimes just being in the presence of a man who makes us feel uncomfortable. That is the key point in all of this. Why should a woman feel less safe doing things a man would not even think twice about? Why should women have to live with an acceptable level of fear in their everyday lives?

Societal change is necessary. We need to educate boys from a young age on how their behaviour can contribute to the genuine fears and worries that women face. As legislators we must play our part and, in consultation with the various women's groups, look at what we can do to stop violence against women in every permutation in which it presents itself. I am pleased to have made changes in the Department of Social Protection that will ensure women can have immediate access to rent supplement in cases where they leave home as a result of domestic violence. When we talk about zero tolerance for violence against women, we must mean it. It must be reflected in the sentences that are handed down to perpetrators. I hope the increased awareness of violence against women that this awful crime has brought about can be used to make positive, lasting changes so that future generations of women do not feel the heavy burden of the fear of being attacked for no other reason than their gender.

Finally, my thoughts and prayers are with Ashling Murphy's family and friends at this exceptionally difficult time and with the families of all of the murdered women who have gone before her.

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