Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this important matter. I welcome the report and the relevant remarks from the Ministers who spoke at length earlier. The data compiled by the Central Statistics Office provides a stark insight into the prevalence of sexual violence in our country. The data reveals the extent to which people of all ages continue to encounter sexual violence and live with the aftermath of those experiences. I commend the CSO for carrying out this research, which will provide valuable data with regard to tackling sexual violence in Ireland and inform resources of our survivor support services. In particular I thank the very brave men and women who engaged with the CSO in this survey who reported incidents of sexual violence, some for the first time. I thank them for their candour in what I expect will have been a very difficult experience in recounting these attacks.

In the report the CSO has detailed some very shocking statistics that show the scale of this issue. Among these statistics is the reporting that 52% of women in Ireland have experienced some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. This is also true of 28% of men. The 52% of women is a figure that we have known for some time. Regrettably the numbers are not heading in the right direction. This is of particular concern. In total four in ten adults reported experiencing sexual violence in their lifetime. One in five people reported experiencing unwanted contact as a child and a similar number experienced unwanted non-sexual contact as a child. Less than half of the adults who experienced sexual violence told someone about it.

I have spoken several times in the House about the prevalence of sexual violence in our society. The historical silence on this phenomenon is well known. As a society we turned a blind eye to abuse and chose instead to avoid the pain and discomfort of addressing the issue, often compounding the pain of survivors by doing so. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle in particular has known very much about this in the years she has been a Member.

We must remain cognisant that this is not an issue confined to history. Instead sexual violence is an issue that we must strive every day to eliminate from our communities. The CSO survey shows that young people are much more likely to speak out about sexual violence than those aged 65 and over. The stigma for many, regardless of age however, remains a barrier to their well-being and to the well-being of our society.

To tackle the prevalence of sexual violence in Ireland will require continued efforts from successive Governments. It requires a number of Departments to work together to achieve the collective goal of eradicating sexual violence. I am encouraged by the work of the Government and I commend the Minister, Deputy Harris, in particular for his efforts in this regard and, of course, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, for her considerable efforts, along with quite a number of those whom I shall call "players" for the purposes of this discussion in the House and in various committees, who have made valuable contributions to this ongoing debate. I stress in particular the cross-party efforts that have gone into the third iteration of the national strategy, which is worth mentioning in the context of what we all trying to achieve.

The strategy that was put forward earlier this year, that is, the third iteration of the national strategy for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, sets out a target of zero tolerance, with €363 million in funding for public awareness campaigns and the establishment of a statutory agency for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, which I understand is to be operational by 1 January 2024. I should note, as a member of the Oireachtas justice committee, that this particular matter is coming before us very shortly and I look forward to working with colleagues of all parties and none to get it back to the Minister as quickly as we can so work can start. The updated primary and secondary school curricula are to include consent, which I sincerely hope will be transformative towards the collective goal of zero tolerance. There is also an updated strategy on coercive control, domestic violence and safe use of the Internet, as well as regular research to manage and monitor the prevalence of these issues in Ireland to facilitate change, to name but a few of the issues. I believe these measures are among the great number of initiatives that will break down barriers and begin to turn the tide of the prevalence of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in the State.

Education is one of the key components of our battle with sexual violence. I am pleased to see the ongoing work of the Minister, Deputy Harris, with regard to mandatory consent courses within the universities and higher education settings. This is a very important step and we must ensure that all students engage with these courses and have access to them. We know from prior reports that sexual violence on our campuses has been an issue that was overlooked for many years. I believe that under this Government, we are taking the necessary steps to make that change. However, education on sexual violence cannot be the preserve of higher education settings and it is something that must be introduced to wider society. That, of course, includes our primary and secondary schools, where students must be aware of the risks of online abuse and in-person abuse, and how they can mitigate risks and build confidence that support is available to people of all ages. The absence of this kind of information in education results in a feeling that these incidents are not something to be talked about and that the person is somehow responsible for them. I know that is something that has been ever-present in our society. However, there is always somebody to talk to. If anybody is listening to this contribution, he or she should know there is always somebody he or she can talk to, trust and confide in to help to get through what is a horrifying experience for many.

I also believe the absence of this education at a young age results in many young people turning to the Internet or to their peers for education. The information found online can vary wildly and can pose a direct challenge to providing comprehensive sexual education to young people. The Internet also has the ability to set unhealthy attitudes towards women and sexual activity. This is something we must tackle if we are to create a healthy and realistic approach to sexual activity. Seeking information from peers comes with the caveat that it might be inappropriate, incomplete or completely wrong, so we must always try to make sure our education system, classrooms and schools are adequately resourced and trained to provide the necessary information to young people.

Again, I stress that this is not something that can be left to educational settings alone. Public awareness campaigns can play an important role in this effort and we have seen recent campaigns supported by the zero tolerance strategy, which I believe can change minds and attitudes within our adult population. It also makes clear to survivors that the authorities are on their side and it breaks down the stigma associated with sexual violence.

Moreover, in order to have a sustainable approach with regard to tackling the prevalence of sexual violence, we will also need to provide adequate and ongoing resourcing to the Garda Síochána and the Courts Service. I welcome the improvements that have been made to boost and support the work of An Garda Síochána. This is key to ensuring that gardaí have the time to complete sensitivity training and, importantly, time to engage with those who need help the most. Similarly, timely access to justice within our courts system is vital to fostering public confidence that survivors will be able to obtain justice without significant or undue delay and that we have a system that is modern, responsive and supportive.

It would be remiss of me not to note the very significant work of the Government in ensuring that the access to justice issue is addressed through the recent report that was published, which is very helpful, not just to the Minister for Justice but to the entire House in terms of what we have to do collectively to break down barriers and to make sure people can get seen before the law as quickly as possible. There are so many complex cases across the spectrum of the courts, where there are extraordinary delays, quite frankly, as well as the hangover from Covid. The timing of that is very important in the context of this debate.

In conclusion, the survey published by the CSO shows the scale of the challenge with regard to sexual violence. These types of reports are vital tools in the planning and development of legislation and initiatives that can make a real difference to the lives of many and in time, hopefully, prevent sexual violence in the future. I am not, however, under any illusion as to the scale of this challenge. We must change cultural attitudes, build public confidence, build support throughout each stage of a survivor's journey and more. I look forward to my ongoing work with the Minister for Justice to achieve these goals and build stronger and safer communities in Ireland for everyone.

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