Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In the three minutes and 15 seconds speaking time I have, I will focus on my experiences and on what I have read. I will start with the seminal work by Erin Pizzey from 1974, Scream Quietly or the Neighbours Will Hear. The title captures what women were enduring. Fifty years later women are still enduring the same thing, notwithstanding the progress made in the third national strategy and the setting up of an agency. Forgive me, in the short speaking time I have, if I do not dwell on those developments but on the ongoing horror which women, some men, boys and girls are suffering.

A report was produced in 1997 that I have often mentioned, including to the Taoiseach, namely, the Report of the Task Force on Violence Against Women by Eithne FitzGerald, the Labour Party Minister of State at the time. The terms of reference were very good and one of them was to examine rehabilitation programmes for perpetrators of such violence. Of course that never happened. In the foreword, she pointed out that it was over 20 years since the first refuge was set up and the task force was to ensure women experiencing violence can have real options and added that:

Working with women and children only addresses one side of the problem. Programmes for violent men that confront violent behaviour must be ... expanded [and so on].

Nothing was ever done about that. The report goes on to tell us that the main focus of the report is on domestic violence. The term "domestic violence" is one I have great difficulty with, as the House knows. I prefer "violence" because the word "domestic" diminishes the term. The main focus of the report is on domestic violence, as most attacks on women are in this category. The foreword continues "This violence is a recurring problem, not once-off [occurrence], and it leaves its scars on [everyone, particularly] children growing up". It further tells us that domestic "violence occurs in all social classes and is equally prevalent in both rural and urban Ireland".

What also jumped out at me is Catherine McGuinness's report in the mid-1980s when she made a report on the Kilkenny incest case. A little line in that report referred to where the violence was absolutely horrific and was not unusual for the area.

Since that task force in 1997, that is, from 1996 onwards, a total of 226 women have died violently and 63% were killed in their own homes. We still have no refuges in many urban centres. One can imagine my frustration as I stand here since I was elected in 2016, and in addition to housing, health and public transport, this is a subject I have repeatedly mentioned.

I have the Manuela Programme to hand from 2007 and I can pick any woman. Manuela Riedo was a young girl from Switzerland who was murdered in Galway. Out of that, a foundation was set up which was good and there were suggestions. This Manuela Programme was very good. It was submitted but it was never taken on by the Department of Education. None of the recommendations of the task force were ever taken on and we were left struggling as TDs.

I ask that the SAVI report be reviewed, that the third strategy be brought in and that the strategies be implemented because the greatest criticism of the first two strategies is that they were never implemented. We know that. The Minister is left with this now. I ask the Minister to forgive my frustration with statements with three minutes and 15 seconds speaking time because I really want to work with her, as this is unacceptable. It is horrible for women, it is horrible for children and it is also very bad for society. We need to deal with the prevalence of violence which is just appalling in the 21st century.

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