Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As an elected Member from the Tullamore area, I was anxious that I place on the record of Dáil Éireann the ongoing condolences of the people of Laois-Offaly to Ashling Murphy's parents, Ray and Kathleen, her sister, Amy, her brother, Cathal, her boyfriend, Ryan, and the extended Murphy and Leonard families. We know an act of depravity has robbed us of one of our own; one reared in the best of Irish traditions by decent, solid people and communities who taught Ashling to love life and live it to the full, which she most definitely did, as should we all. Initially in these statements and the debate later, we should remember Ashling for the women she was. We should remember her and all those who grieve her terrible loss. She was a musician, a teacher and a mentor. We know she was kind, caring, generous and talented.

She was a daughter, a sister, a girlfriend, a niece, cousin, friend, a colleague and a proud Offaly woman. Today, in this Chamber, in addition to our remembrance of her, we have to take action. After her funeral yesterday, today should be the first day of action for Ashling.

We have to do what we can, insofar as we can, to ensure the likes of this may not happen again. It must start with education. I am a father of two boys and two girls. I have a responsibility as a father but also now as a legislator to ensure young boys and men are better educated. I have a responsibility to know that we must better protect young girls and women. We, the elected members of Dáil Éireann, have to commit to ensure that we work day and night so that Ashling Murphy is never forgotten. We have great pride in Offaly in saying that "the faithful never die". Our footballers, hurlers and camogie teams have a never say die attitude. It is incumbent on us to make sure that Ashling Murphy's legacy never dies.

I do not have all the answers; nor does any individual in this Chamber. I am no angel or saint but I know that politics cannot be the barrier to working together on these issues and on this matter. We have a duty to set aside politics and respond to the calls of the people of Ireland. In my lifetime, I have seen the deaths of Veronica Guerin and Savita Halappanavar precipitate change. I have seen in the past week, as we all have, our country and its society crying out for Ashling Murphy's death to precipitate a change in men's attitudes and behaviour towards, about and to women. Maybe then girls and women can freely walk the canal line in Tullamore, named Fiona's Way, or whatever beauty spot it is in any town or village, in whatever part of this beautiful countryside that is available to us all. Maybe then women and girls can take a stroll, walk or jog like me - like a man - without any fear. When that is the case and, hopefully, it will be, we will at least know that Ashling Murphy's death was the day that men got the message and the day that women got the equality they deserve, which to our shame unfortunately is long overdue.

See this speech in context