Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The attack on Natasha O'Brien has once again brought to light how the safety of women must be made a top priority of this Government and by all parties and none. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, has stated that a zero tolerance approach is to be adopted with regard to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence and we all agree. However, how many times have we heard this? We need the Judicial Council to produce its review on sentencing guidelines, especially when it comes to suspended sentences and the criteria used in determining violent crimes. The inconsistency in this area is causing major concern to the public and feeding into mistrust of the judicial system. This manifests itself in the psyches of women and children, who feel the system is failing to protect them, as Natasha O'Brien has bravely outlined in her ongoing campaign against what most people see as a miscarriage of justice. We support her and look forward to the changes that must come about. Deputy McDonald described it as a watershed moment for all women in Ireland. The separation of powers must be respected, and the total independence of the DPP upheld. However, the DPP can seek a review of any sentences on grounds of undue leniency. We must also pay tribute to the Women of Honour and their uphill battle in seeking justice for their abuse and mistreatment in the Irish Defence Forces. There is a systemic and major underlying problem in our society. Women's Aid had more than 40,000 disclosures of abuse against women and children in 2023 - the highest ever recorded. The creation of the new DSGBV agency, Cuan, is welcome and I acknowledge the Minister's role in this. However, we emphasise the need to speed up the process of hiring staff and getting the full management programme in place. I acknowledge the €6.6 million allocated to the new women's refuge centre in Wexford town, providing 12 self-catering apartments, which, subject to schedule should open in September. We also ask that the nine counties with no refuge be provided with similar assistance in line with the Istanbul Convention. We must move quickly towards the ultimate goal, which is that no woman or child should be turned away because there is no safe shelter available. The Government must implement a zero tolerance strategy, and the recommendations by the Citizens' Assembly on Gender Equality and the Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality. As the saying goes, justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done.

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