Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I will respond to the last issue first. The fundamental thing the Bill we introduced four years ago would have done was remove the barrier of ethos in the delivery of the curriculum. The Government is going to have to address that because 92% of our national schools are run according to a Catholic ethos and it is up to the schools to refuse to implement objective sex education if it flies in the face of their ethos. Will the Taoiseach please address that in his next answer?

The matter of refuge places is hugely important. We have been campaigning for refuge places in Carlow and Dún Laoghaire and I am sure other Deputies have been campaigning locally as well. Nine counties have no refuges. It is outrageous that 42% of the Istanbul Convention is not being implemented by this country. The Government must address that immediately, without going through the rigours of setting up special committees. It should give the funding to Tusla to provide the places, keep hostels open, stop closing them and create new ones where they are required. Some 3,000 victims of sexual abuse at a minimum - I do not have the exact figure in front of me - were left outside of supports during the Covid pandemic because of the dearth of spaces. That has to be addressed immediately, not at some vague time in the future. I ask the Taoiseach to take both those points on board.

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