Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I also want to add my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Ashling Murphy and the wider community. I also offer my condolences of the families and friends of any woman who has lost her life at the hands of a man. As others have said, 244 women have died violently since 1996.

The death of Ashling Murphy has brought to the fore the everyday sexism, violence, harassment and misogyny that women must endure. It is systemic across society. While it is not all men, it is almost always men. To the men who contacted me and got defensive and feel they are being portrayed a bad light, I suggest they look at themselves and cop on. Instead of becoming defensive, it would serve them better to become a little more reflective and reflect on how their everyday behaviour as a man can effect women. They should reflect on how they can change because, after all, it is men's behaviours that need to change, not women's. As a father to two girls, as a son, as a brother and as a basic human being, the senseless death of Ashling Murphy has shaken me to the core. It is incumbent on all men to call out the everyday sexism, violence, harassment and misogyny that women must endure and to be the voice that says, "Enough is enough".

I do not want to live in a society that treats 50% of its population as less worthy just because of its gender. We, as legislators and public representatives, must now work together across all parties and none to put in place measures that will lead to the systemic changes that are needed. Women's Aid support workers heard more than 30,000 disclosures of domestic violence including coercive control in 2020. We all heard the evidence that incidents of domestic abuse increased during lockdown simply because men were at home. I thank Saoirse women's refuge in Tallaght for all the assistance it has given to women and children during these difficult times. A week does not seem to go by that I do not refer somebody to its service. Societal change will not happen overnight. In the meantime, we need to support services such as Saoirse women's refuge and all refuges across the country so at least women will have a safe place to go.

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