Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Tomorrow will mark two weeks since Aisling Murphy was attacked and murdered by a man in Tullamore. While I welcome the fact that two weeks later we are still having this conversation and discussing the issue in the Dáil, we have to ensure that we continue to discuss this issue and focus on the issue of violence against women and that we do not let the cry for help from women right across Ireland just fade into the distance. I ask that it becomes part of everything that we do from now on.

It never enters my head when I leave the front door and go for a walk to have a key in my clenched fist in the event that someone might attack me. I never think about or consider texting friends or family to tell them where I am going. I do not do these things because I am a man and I feel safe. Women, unfortunately, do not feel safe in those circumstances. As men, it is of great importance that we wake up to that fact and that we begin to have a conversation with ourselves but that we also begin to have a conversation with each other as to how we behave and act towards women. Unless we have that conversation, we cannot make Ireland a safer place for women and girls.

We need to listen to women and I mean listen properly. We cannot just nod our heads and pretend that we understand but we need to listen to what women are saying. Part of that and probably the most important part is education. We need to educate men, young and old, that we have no right to interfere emotionally or physically with women. We need to educate ourselves as men as to how we can become allies to women. I firmly and fundamentally believe that if we can become allies to women, that is the best and most important way that we can ensure that women and girls are safe in this country.

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