Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Like the rest of the country, my thoughts continue to be very much with the loved ones of Ashling Murphy, in particular as the Deputy states, we have just marked the anniversary of her murder.

The Minister, Deputy Harris, and I both welcome that the Deputy has tabled this issue for discussion, because tackling all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is, and will continue to be, a key priority for this Government. I cannot sufficiently underscore the commitment across the Government to tackling these hideous crimes and to address the underlying issues. As Deputy Cairns states, there must be collaboration with our partners and with all of society to try to prevent all forms of violence against women and to change the problematic attitudes that underpin it.

We are also trying to improve and increase the supports that are available. We are putting in place new structures to ensure that we can deliver the systems and supports that victims and survivors so badly need. The Deputy mentioned a victim-centred criminal justice system that would support victims from the moment they report a crime right through the court proceedings and beyond. Procedures and processes have to be in place to hold perpetrators to account. There has to be a full range of supports and services available to victims of these terrible crimes regardless of where they live. We should continue to work with society to educate and raise awareness of all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence and enable everyone to question and change problematic behaviours.

Over the course of the past year, significant strides have been made in implementing Supporting a Victim's Journey, the plan to improve the experience of vulnerable victims as they engage with the criminal justice system. We want better training for professionals and the establishment of a course to train intermediaries. There is also the roll-out out of divisional protective services units in each Garda division, the introduction of preliminary trial hearings, and the provision of extra funding for organisations supporting victims, to address gaps in service provision by type and location.

The zero-tolerance strategy the Minister, Deputy McEntee, launched is a five-year, ambitious, whole-of-government strategy. We all know its headings: protection, prevention, prosecution and policy co-ordination. It was developed in partnership with domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence partners and that sector. They have had direct input, which will help. It comprises 144 actions that have to be delivered. The legislation that the Minister, Deputy Harris, is bringing forward will increase the maximum sentence for assault causing harm; it is being doubled from five years to ten. Other legislation will include the monitoring of sex offenders, strengthen victims' rights, and make stalking and non-fatal strangulation stand-alone offences. The Deputy specifically mentioned refuge spaces, which she has been advocating on for quite some time. That has started and will continue.

I was struck by one of the matters the Deputy mentioned, namely, under-reporting. I grew up in a very different era to the Deputy. There is still under-reporting. There was certainly a lot of under-reporting in my day, which is continuing. This morning, I attended a spin class very near where I live. I was crossing the road after the class, in my cycling shorts, and was verbally abused by a man who came towards me. I got such a shock that I did not even think it was directed towards me until I got into my car and he continued the abuse. I reported that incident today. I might not have reported that 20 or 30 years ago because that is what we do as victims. We think we are being silly and we maybe feel stupid reporting it but we must tackle that type of misogyny at the level of something as basic as that. It is completely unacceptable. Even though it is not a murder like that of Ashling Murphy, such misogyny runs the gamut. That is what is happening in society. We have to stamp it out. I said to myself, if we are talking about a strategy, I have to embody it too and have a zero-tolerance approach. We all have to. It takes men as well, if they see such incidents or conversations happening that are not acceptable to women, they also need to call that out. We all have to play our part.

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