Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this debate. People have been alarmed by the death of Ashling Murphy. The serious realisation that violence against women is an endemic and serious problem in this country has dawned on us all. For most men, we react with anger, guilt and confusion to this because there is a chilling realisation that at the heart of the violence women are suffering is an attempt by men to abuse power. The statistics are alarming. Ten women in Ireland die violently every year. Sexual assault has increased by 60% in the past five years. Less than one tenth of serious sexual assaults are reported and the detection rate is the lowest of all crimes. Even after two years 80% remain undetected. Other assaults are four times more likely to be detected and more than one in ten women have said in private surveys that they have been victims of the equivalent of rape.

I very much welcome the strategies the Minister, Deputy McEntee, is developing. They are badly needed. We need top-down strategies, including legislation, prosecution and prevention. We need strategies in education. Lord knows, SPHE is badly in need of updating to modernise it so that it can address the challenges of the toxic masculinity that continues to be prevalent in Irish society. We may well need a Cabinet level position to co-ordinate some of this work.

I fear all of these measures risk signalling that the responsibility for this is to fall to a Minister, gardaí or teachers and not to ourselves. If this is to be a watershed, we cannot bundle in a new curriculum for SPHE and assume the responsibility has been dealt with. We have to shift the culture of toxic masculinity that exists which tolerates the sort of abuse that is so widespread. We need to do more. All of us, as men and boys, must become involved in an active response to the culture if it is to change. It cannot be done by a well-intentioned Minister or teacher.

To enable men to make this step forward, we should seriously consider a requirement that every public body develop a justice for women statement. This would mean there would be a mandate for every organisation, initially every public body, to address this and provide a platform where people could discuss and think about this issue. It is encouraging to see universities and other bodies seriously examine the way they develop policies internally. That approach needs to be much more prevalent.

When child safety first statements were introduced, they made a huge difference. They impinged on our consciousness. I agree with others that we need to encourage men to step forward and take a lead in this. It cannot be left to women's organisations to lead. It is the responsibility of men and we need men who are influencers to be part of the dramatic shift in culture if we are to achieve change.

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