John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is a great deal to celebrate in the achievements of women in this country over the decades. It is also fair to say that a significant amount remains to be done. Political parties in this House are not supporting women within their organisations as they should. This is why we do not get women coming forward for election. That has to change. The current system whereby a certain allocation of women and a gender balance and so on is being sought is all well and good but if you do not change the system that selects the candidates in local elections, in Europe or for here, you will not get the numbers that are needed to tilt the balance in favour of 50-50 representation or even beyond that.

I welcome the day that political parties do what they say they are supposed to be doing because that in itself would make a level playing field for everyone and give people the opportunity to come to the House. I salute all of the women in this House who have been elected and who participate fully in debates representing their constituency. Beyond that, they are representing some of the big issues, such as those Deputy Verona Murphy has outlined this evening in a very sincere and passionate way. commend her for that. The women I think of today are those who do not have a voice and who we have discussed here umpteen times before this. Women such as Grace, for example, remain in my memory. This was a case that has been resolved in some senses, but not for the 47 other families. It just hangs there and there is no information coming back to this House that would give me and others the comfort of knowing that matters are in hand, are being dealt with, and the 47 other families are fine. I often raise the case of Lucia O'Farrell here. She is a mother whose son was murdered on the road who is still waiting for justice. She is still waiting for the Government to support a motion I tabled to have a public inquiry into what happened. If that were to happen, it would tell us so much about every strand of the State that was involved in some way in the investigation and the outcomes of the case.

I remember her here today and I remember her son, Shane, here today. I say to the Minister present to please raise the issue again on behalf of Lucia O'Farrell and be brave enough to take motion which was passed during the previous Dáil and present it for discussion to determine the support of this House for a public inquiry.

I think also of the missing people. I have been raising the case of Jo Jo Dullard year on year in the House who is missing and still has not been found. Her family is in complete trauma, waiting for the information that will tell them where Jo Jo Dullard is, where she is buried or what the update on her case might be. I think of all of those people because no one speaks about them that much, and when we do speak about it in the Chamber, there is no feedback or follow up. We are speaking to ourselves really, and the House should find some way to take the specific issues raised and give Deputies in the House feedback on them.

On the world stage and looking at genocide in Palestine, it has been condemned outright in this House. When we see so many young children dying in that war and so many women crying for their dead husband or a dead son or daughter, it is quite shocking. The political system seems to be more concerned about what country is supporting what country and very little action is being taken. We should be far more vocal on the world stage on all of these matters and be prepared to call it as it is, because it is horrible to watch it on television.

Likewise, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and what is happening there, again countries are more interested in their own positions rather than calling out exactly what is happening. In politics, until we get to that day where we are calling out the issues, being truthful and honest and following it up where necessary with actions, we are just crying in the wilderness here. We are just talking to ourselves and nothing much is happening from it.

I will not go into any great detail about the referendum this week but I encourage people to listen to what Senator McDowell had to say on the matter. It is well worth listening to. It is also worth listening to the discussion or debate that was had before we reached the point where the wording was put together on that referendum. We did not serve the people well in the manner in which we handled that matter up to the point of putting the wording to the people. I will vote no. That is what I believe the correct action to take is or the correct way to vote. I suggest much more needs to be done on women's rights and equality of pay and position in workforce and the Civil Service Apart from the referendum on this matter, there are so many actions we can take, and it is by our actions they will know us. We should take far greater action on these issues rather than putting a matter to the people, which I do not mind doing but we should have thought it out far better.

I also want to go back to a point raised by Deputy Murphy about CAMHS. I raised earlier the matter that people cannot get the support of a child psychiatrist. There are waiting lists as long as your arm. Refusals are going out to those who need a service, refusing them the service. I was in a house in Kilkenny this week and saw at first hand what the parents were dealing with. I could only try to support and sympathise with them as best I could. All they want is for their child to be seen by a child psychiatrist and they have been refused that. I raised it earlier under another matter in the Dáil that the doctor is imploring the HSE and CAMHS to see the child. This goes back since before 2023. The parents are there but there is a woman at the heart of that home - if we are talking about women - who is crying out for assistance. She is marked by the physical interactions with the child, yet the answer the Minister gave today, which was unbelievable to listen to, was as if there was no waiting list, as if matters were being dealt with, as if the numbers on the waiting list were falling fast and furious. That is not the case. This family and others like it need to be seen immediately.

In my house, as I am sure it was in many other homes, it was my mother who was at the centre of the home. It was my mother rather than my father who gave me a social conscience and explained how important community and everything else despite the fact that both my father and I were the public figures. It was only after her death that I appreciated this but it was really my mother's influence that guided me through what I would consider to be all of the issues you would face as a public representative and be on the side of the person, of humanity and compassion. I have tried to carry that with me through politics, but you are challenged every single day if you have that belief. We are now in the age of mediocrity and that seems to be the order of the day. Talk to yourself up here, listen to rubbish replies from some Ministers, to be honest about it, in terms of the service, and not feel there is any real attempt being made to protect the family or the home. As we are talking about International Women’s Day today and are celebrating the women who are at home keeping families together and who are there carrying all of the issues that face a family, they are the people I remember today. We should find some way of making this Dáil, the Ministers and the Government far more accountable than they are.

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