Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank Sinn Féin for enabling this further discussion of gender-based violence. In recent weeks, we have seen the acknowledgement that domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a national social problem. The tragic killing of Ashling Murphy and the visceral response from every community, city, town, village and even townland, obliges us to respond swiftly, meaningfully and tangibly. Violence against women is a perpetual pandemic and one that never recedes or fades away. It has always been with us.

In this discussion and the statements earlier, we have, rightly, referred to the culture that permits and even encourages violence, abuse and harassment of girls and women. We have highlighted the role that men and boys can play as individuals and the solidarity women provide to each other. Now, it is our turn, as legislators, to respond and not just to give speeches, but to ensure substantial and effective policies. Interventions must be early and effective and penalties for perpetrators must be robust and effective. In the numerous times I have raised this issue, I have highlighted three areas of immediate action that the Government should have taken long ago. I mentioned these earlier, but they are worth mentioning again and again.

The first is domestic violence. Throughout the pandemic we have seen significant increases in people fleeing domestic violence. National support providers and those such as the West Cork Women Against Violence Project have seen clear increases in the numbers of calls. There is a pressing need for more refuge spaces. The Istanbul Convention standard, as we know, is one refuge space per 10,000 people and in Ireland, we provide one refuge space per 10,000 women, leaving us with 50% or half the recommended bare minimum, including very little infrastructure for male victims. These refuge spaces are needed now.

The other point on domestic violence is the importance of having a dedicated Minister or the Department of the Taoiseach to oversee this. Campaigners have repeatedly called for a dedicated Minister with reach across all of the Departments and agencies, with which a survivor may interact, and a Cabinet standing committee. Victims and survivors of domestic violence have to interact with local housing offices, social welfare officers, doctors, gardaí and social workers. We know it is a complex matter that needs a co-ordinated response and people often need training. We need multidisciplinary teams and somebody overseeing all of these services that are able to interact with those needs.

Second, we need a drastic overhaul of how our justice system understands and responds to sexual assaults and violence. The detection rates for sexual offences were 10% for 2020. There is significant under-reporting of sexual violence. In 2019, more than 14,000 contacts were received by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre's national 24-hour helpline. However, only 3,307 offences were reported to gardaí in the same year. Only a small percentage of rapes and sexual assaults were reported and only 10% involved a perpetrator being charged or cautioned. There must be reforms in how policing and the courts system engage with victims. The hostile treatment of victims has to end.

The Realities of Rape Trials in Ireland, a report from Dr. Susan Leahy of the University of Limerick, in conjunction with the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, outlines the experience of victims or survivors, and has clear recommendations. Delays in the trial process are a major source of concern which have a significant impact on the victims' recovery and their personal and professional lives. General understandings of consent are still poor and biases, stereotypes and assumptions still influence juries.

The report has 18 recommendations including making available free legal advice and information for anyone reporting or considering reporting any type of sexual offence and providing guidance for juries on consent and to address rape myths. There is a need for immediate changes to our justice system to make it truly victim-centred and to support and encourage girls and women as well as boys and men to report all forms of sexual assault and violence.

Third, there is an urgent need for education on consent, sexual violence, coercion and other types of assault, including online crimes. The Government delayed the progress of the Social Democrats Bill ensuring a standardised and evidence-based approach to relationship and sex education. The need for proper education on healthy relationships and understanding of sex is even more important than ever. NUIG academic Elaine Healy Byrnes, who has written a PhD on consent, is calling for the relationships and sexuality education curriculum to be brought into the 21st century.

I am calling on the Government to overturn its decision to delay my party's Bill. I have raised all of these issues before and I will continue to raise them until we get the action that women and girls deserve.

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