Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I extend my condolences to Ashling's family, her partner, her friends, neighbours, colleagues, and her students. I stood with hundreds of people in Dublin West at the Draíocht Theatre when Ashling was remembered. People expressed their horror at the violence she had experienced. We also remembered those women in Dublin West over the years who were murdered by men. They were Miriam O'Donohue, Eugenia Bratis, Anne Colomines, Jean Eagers, Linda Evans, Michaela Davis, Bente Carroll, Anna Finnegan, Marilyn Rynn, and Anastasia Kriégel. We also remembered the many other women throughout Dublin West who are experiencing gender-based violence daily at the hands of men and who are unable to leave due to the lack of services and the lack of places in refuges, with the housing crisis being among the barriers to women leaving violent and abusive relationships. If we are serious about this being a watershed, which so many people have talked about, then we need to get serious about the services that provide pathways to women.

On the day I was asked by a man "What can I do to make a difference?" I told him we need men to stand up and be counted on, to be the ones who call out verbal and physical violence against women, who call out the misogynist jokes, videos, and social media posts, and who stand up and call it out for what it is when men in the pub, in work or in a football stadium are making comments or chanting.

We also need to start with schools and education as early as we possibly can around gender-based violence. We as legislators need to ensure we put in place laws that treat gender-based violence with the seriousness it deserves. I hear constantly in this Chamber that we are going to do this, and I genuinely hope it happens. The Government needs to ensure that when women need a safe place, it is available. Today we heard the shocking statistic that in 2015 there were 142 places in refuges, but in 2022 this has now dropped to 137. This is not acceptable and it needs to change. We need to ensure refuges are resourced and supplied with an adequate level of support in each and every county. I note there are nine counties that do not have a refuge. This also needs to change. We also need to ensure there is appropriate access to step-down and transitional accommodation so that women can move on from their time in refuges, feeling safe and supported to do so. I have worked with families and with women in domestic violence and this was one of the biggest barriers we faced constantly: trying to get a place in a refuge and then trying to get somewhere to live after that when the time in the refuge had finished.

We call on the Government to correct the historical underinvestment in domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services in the State and for genuine political action to improve outcomes for survivors and victims. "Enough is enough" is what we heard throughout the State, from Cork, Belfast, Dublin and Galway. Enough is enough. We all need to stand up against gender-based violence.

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