Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Labour Party for bringing forward this motion. It is extremely important and it is really good we are having this discussion. It should be something we continue with and not have only when it is especially in the news.

We often hear in the discourse on violence against women that women deserve to feel safe. I have heard throughout the past number of weeks this concept that women deserve to feel safe, but it is imperative we ensure women are safe in our communities. Women should be safe in public, on the street, in our workplaces and indeed at home. It is not just that we feel safe but that we are safe. That is what we want to see. We have never been able to provide that level of safety to women in this State. If we look back through history, we see State apology after State apology for the way women have been treated, yet we still do not have the adequate refuge spaces for women seeking a safe haven. We are still forcing women who have survived horrific violence to seek justice in a system that simply does not put their safety first, does not provide proper support and often leaves women feeling alone, powerless, with their pain and trauma not being listened to.

We know the majority of violence is done by men who are known to the victim like a partner, friend or family member. Whether or not the women in question felt safe in those relationships prior to the abuse, the reality is they were not safe; they were violently betrayed by people they trusted. As women, we know this. We have built networks and tactics to keep each other safe and we have come out in numbers to make our anger and grief heard. I especially acknowledge all the people who have come out in solidarity with Natasha O’Brien over the past two weeks, particularly the women who have refused to stay silent in the face of this mistreatment. However, there is still much more to do and we need to ensure we build on that collectively, organisationally and that we ensure we are safe in this State.

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