Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy McDonald for raising what is an exceptionally sensitive and important report into the most difficult of circumstances possible. When the Minister, Deputy Harris, was briefing the Government on this report yesterday morning, it reminded me, and I am sure it has reminded all of us, that there are a set of tragic circumstances that I think are beyond the ability of most of us even to imagine. We can only recognise the trauma and then the bravery of many who have to live with the consequences of such death and violence.

I join Deputy McDonald in recognising the role of families who have engaged in this process in such a brave and dignified way. Their voices were critical to the work that has now been carried out and to the publication of what is a very substantial report. I wish also to refer to and to recognise the former Minister for Justice, our colleague Deputy Flanagan, who responded to this tragic and complex phenomenon by commissioning this report and by putting in place the process the Dáil is now raising.

I will deal with the two issues Deputy McDonald raised and her important point that this matter is so important that it transcends the Department of Justice. She asked how we will look to move this matter forward. We will do so now by the establishment of a number of groups that we believe will offer a cohesive and effective way of dealing with such tragedies, first in trying to prevent them from happening and, second, when they do happen, on the saddest of occasions, in trying to see what we can do as a State to respond to those who have survived familicide.

What will we do? In line with the report's recommendations, three groups will be established. First, there will be an interdepartmental group. It will be interdepartmental because, as the Deputy rightly said, this is such an important matter. It goes beyond the Department of Justice. We recognise the roles of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the HSE and the Department of Education in regard to it. Second, we want to set up an advisory group made up of representatives of the NGOs and other stakeholders who have built up such expertise and insight into this tragic issue. Finally, and most appropriately, we will put in place an advisory group made up of the families of victims to hear their voices and views on how we should respond to deaths the circumstances of which are beyond the ability of many of us to imagine. We have a duty to respond to them.

Coming out of all that, we will consider how to implement the recommendations of the report. I have no doubt at all that when the groups are established, we will prioritise actions and lay out how the recommendations will be implemented. From having heard the Minister for Justice, Deputy Harris, speak about this matter yesterday, I have little doubt that we will move to priority actions and to their implementation once the groups are established.

I acknowledge there is already much work under way that tries to respond to the loss of life in the terrible circumstances under discussion. Work on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is under way in schools and through the provision of additional training and expertise. There is new work under way on the setting up of refuges and on determining how we can provide support to those fleeing the most difficult and desperate of circumstances. I join the Deputy in recognising the sensitivity of this matter. She can be assured that the Government will do all it can to respond to the recommendations issued in yesterday's substantial and important report.

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