Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Costello for sharing his time. Since 1996, Women's Aid has reported the murders of 244 women, along with 18 children who have died with their mothers. Of the resolved cases involving those women, 89% of the victims knew their murderer, with the balance being strangers. Thousands of women are in supportive care, such as refuges, on a daily basis because of the nature of the violence perpetrated on them by men. As some of those statistics have shown, the vast majority of the women in question know the men who are violent towards them.

As a society, we require significant changes to prevent this chain of events from continuing from decade to decade. The men in this room and in society are entirely responsible for that change. We have it within our authority to change the way in which we treat the women we are fortunate to have in our lives. We must also ensure that change is passed to the next generation.

The disgusting and horrific murder of Ashling Murphy has struck a chord in society. Like my colleagues who spoke before me, I offer my deepest and heartfelt condolences to her friends and family, her colleagues and those who loved her. I was listening very carefully to Deputy Whitmore, and although I know many colleagues said it previously, as a man the idea of sending a text message to a loved one or family member before getting home or minding what street we take is almost unheard of; it is a daily occurrence for the women in our lives and we must ensure that changes. The onus is on us to change our attitudes and tackle gender-based violence, coercive control and all the other attributes of what is a horrible societal norm.

If we are committed to tackling this matter, we must do so in almost every aspect of society. It should start in education and in every house. As I have said, the misogyny, including derogatory remarks, behaviour and even elements of television programmes we are subjected to, is being normalised when it should not be. We must take the necessary steps to eradicate it.

As others have said, I welcome the initiative from the Minister in the forthcoming publication of the policy for the removal of gender-based violence from our society.

That strategy will be published in the coming months. It is a very important step in the right direction that Members of this House can get their teeth into, suggest improvements to, and try to work towards implementing those policies. It is not just a policy from this House, however, and it is not just a policy from the Government. It must be something of which every man in Irish society is aware. I listened, as we all did, to the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte's recent comments and those of my colleague Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, in her remarks about the othering that went on by certain men in Irish society following the murder of Ashling Murphy, which I am pretty sure all of us were appalled to hear.

I echo statements made by others before me. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, has made the access to rent supplement a permanent attribute of the supports offered to women seeking to escape violence against them. We must do more in this House and we must do more in government to ensure the access to supports necessary for those women is much faster.

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