Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief. I would like the Taoiseach to comment on the recently published report on stalking and harassment put together by the two doctors in UCC. It was widely publicised and was inspired by the bravery of Una Ring and Eve McDowell. There were ten recommendations in that report. They include training and education for gardaí and a new wording on stalking offences. Do we have a plan to train and educate gardaí on stalking and harassment? As recently as last week, I met a woman who works in Dublin 8 and has been seriously stalked, frightened and threatened. Every time she goes to the Garda she feels it is a case of #IDoNotBelieveHer because the gardaí ignore her and tell her she is imagining things. This is a serious problem. It is also a serious problem that if and when these perpetrators are jailed for a crime of harassment or stalking, they eventually get out of prison while the victims are left at home worrying about the situation. There are a whole load of unanswered questions in this regard. I commend the report. It has done a fabulous job on a problem that needs to be looked at. I would like to hear the Taoiseach's comments on it. I am sure he is aware of it and his Department has probably looked at it. If not, the Department of Justice must have.

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