Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I express my deepest and sincerest sympathies to Ashling Murphy's family. Ashling's beautiful, talented life was viciously taken from her around this time last week. Her death has left a devastating void in the lives of her family, boyfriend, friends and work colleagues and the little boys and girls in first class in Durrow National School. Ashling's death has also stopped the nation in its tracks. It has led to a national debate across kitchen tables and living rooms and it is happening this evening in Dáil Éireann. I listened carefully to the last few courageous contributions by female Members articulating something that happens daily in their lives. It is a story that is often brushed aside and not listened to but it has been very much listened to this evening, I hope.

The shrine outside Dáil Éireann features some very saddening and thought-provoking slogans. I have seen the slogan #NotAllMen but I saw a sign with the words, "Not All Men But All Women". I stopped and looked at it. It caught my attention for a while. Yes, most men are good men but there are some horrible men and many men who stand by silently. The real eye-opener for me in the past week has been the many conversations I have had with my mother, sisters and female friends. There are probably 2% or 3% of places where I do not feel safe. I will walk the streets of Dublin tonight to get some fresh air in my lungs after leaving the Dáil. There are probably only a few alleyways that I would not go down but I feel quite safe. It is quite the reverse for women. There are probably 2% or 3% of places in the city where they feel safe. That is perverse. It is wrong that women feel like that every night. My wife told me recently that she drives the roads with the car doors locked. I thought this bizarre until she told me the reasons she does so. She said she would not drive into car parks. I would drive anywhere or walk most places. That is how most men live. Without wishing to take from Ashling Murphy's death, it has been hugely eye-opening for a lot of young men in Ireland to hear these experiences over the past week.

These cannot just be words in the Dáil. We have heard many strong statements this evening but they have to be backed up with actions and resources. I hope the new intake of An Garda Síochána in the coming weeks can play its part. The message, "Not all men but all women", must be front and centre of this debate and our guiding light as we move forward.

I will conclude by mentioning short sentencing and early release from prison. We need to have a good look at our judicial and penal systems in Ireland. It is a kick in the face for victims and their families to see murderers and rapists walking the streets eight or nine years after the event. There have been cases in recent days which I will not mention. There are depraved cases where people get eight or nine-year sentences. That is wrong. Part of what we do going forward must be to ensure that people who engage in rotten, depraved crimes will pay for them. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis.

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