Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There have been two cases before the courts in recent weeks which have brought the issue of gender-based violence into focus once more and have shone a light on our ineffectiveness in dealing with the issue and supporting victims. The sad reality is that while both cases were high-profile, in the weeks and days that followed those acts of violence and degradation, several other women have endured agony and attacks in anonymity and isolation and were not able to reach out for the help and support they need.

I welcome the decision by the DPP to appeal the severity of the sentence for Cathal Crotty after he received a three-year suspended sentence for a violent attack on a young Limerick woman, Natasha O'Brien. More recently, we had the case of Bláthnaid Raleigh, who waived her right to anonymity this week at the sentencing of her rapist, Johnny Moran. Like the rest of the nation, I had to stop what I was doing this morning as I listened to this remarkable young woman speak on the "Oliver Callan" show. Bláthnaid Raleigh gave a great insight into the trauma and horror that victims have to endure. Now 26 years old, she did not feel she had the right to say she was raped as she had not seen her attacker convicted.

It seems extraordinary that it took five years for the conviction to come to pass. Bláthnaid Raleigh suffered a gruesome and violent violation at the hands of somebody she felt she could trust and then lost five years of her life waiting for trial. She shared five years in the same home town as her attacker, perhaps often seeing him at a distance on the street or in a chance encounter while her life was shattered and she was forced to live in the shadows. We appreciate that every accused person has the right to be afforded the presumption of innocence, but five years for a determination in a case as violent and invasive as this is an indictment of our justice system.

Both cases are perhaps at the extreme end of gender-based violence, but on a daily basis in towns, villages and across the country, gender-based violence unfolds at varying degrees of severity. We hear it every week in our constituency offices. Many of these cases will never come to the courts, but they are unfolding in our communities and housing estates. Over the past number of weeks, I have met several women who have suffered the degradation and violence of gender-based violence. Their perpetrators can live, seemingly unaffected, and in many cases go on to perpetrate the same crimes.

I commend the Minister. It was heartening to hear all sides of the House acknowledge the Herculean work she has done in this area during her time in the justice role. When she was in Longford she met Longford Women's Link, which is very supportive, and she is committed to a refuge centre for Longford. Work is unfolding on that, but we need to leave no stone unturned. This is one of the biggest challenges facing our country.

We have conditioned ourselves as a society to think that past acts of gender-based violence are, in the main, perpetrated by members of the church and those in positions of authority. We perhaps convinced ourselves that the worst was behind us, but the reality is that the perpetrators of today are our neighbours and maybe even our friends. As a previous speaker pointed out, in seven out of ten instances victims know their attacker.

As mentioned, I greatly appreciate the work the Minister is doing and the support she has given to Longford Women's Link. I would like the promised refuge centre for County Longford to come to fruition as soon as possible. However, I fear there is a certain creeping sense of acceptance of gender-based violence and, at some levels, it is being overlooked. I fear it is linked to the issue of consent and the prevalence of access to porn for young men and boys, in particular. They are being fed a warped sense of what constitutes consent and how they should behave.

As other speakers said, it is only two years since the tragic death of Ashling Murphy. Can we turn around and say to our colleagues in the Chamber that much has changed over those two years? Is this truly a safer and better society? If we look into the deep recesses of our souls, we cannot say that things have changed during that time.

The reality is that the names of Natasha O'Brien and Bláthnaid Raleigh will fade from our screens and newspapers. The sad reality of today's discussion is that there will be more Bláthnaids and Natashas. I genuinely fear that we have an epidemic of gender-based violence in this country. As legislators and community leaders, we and everybody in our communities need to stand up and call it out for what it is. As legislators, we need a multi-Department commitment and a statement of intent from the Government to address this issue. Many speakers referenced the two cases I have mentioned as a watershed moment, but the pain and anguish of those women and the thousands of other often anonymous victims will be forgotten and overlooked until we tackle this issue with the courage that it demands.

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