Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is absolutely right. Fear of harassment and violence should never be normalised, be it in the home or as people go about their daily life. The prioritisation of this hugely important work is evident in the policy and legislative developments implemented by this Government, as well as those currently being progressed. It is also evidenced by the increased budget allocations that have been secured this year in order to address such heinous and unacceptable behaviour. That said, we know we need to achieve a lot more. We need to increase the provision of refuges and have committed to ensuring that everyone who needs a refuge space will have access to one. As part of its work to finalise the new strategy, the Department of Justice is examining how to advance the recommendations made in the Tusla accommodation review, on both improving the delivery of these spaces and how quickly they are delivered.

The Deputy is correct about education. It is a vital part of this issue. Education must begin in our schools and preschools, in primary and secondary schools and right throughout our education curriculum, in order to ensure girls and women feel safe in their communities. That point is very important. The strategy the Minister is developing will take that whole-of-government approach, including to education. It is vitally important that it does that. There is no doubt that we can break this cycle, collectively, and that is something we are committed to doing. There is a huge responsibility on the education system to try to deliver that. We want to achieve that zero tolerance the Minister has referred to. I commend the Deputy for raising this issue, and not just this evening. She has campaigned and advocated continuously for a complete culture change in how women and girls are treated in our society.

See this speech in context