Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I can only presume from his reply that the Tánaiste did not understand the question or the contribution that I made in the first instance so I will do my best to explain again. We hear more about women being told not to walk home alone at night than we hear about men being told not to assault or rape women who are walking home alone at night so many women decide to take a taxi. The thought that the person driving that taxi could be a convicted sexual offender is the stuff of nightmares for women. I am asking the Tánaiste about regulation in that sector through the NTA. I am asking about regulation for dentists. This is something the Social Democrats raised in our latest Private Member's motion and nothing has been done. I am also asking about regulation in the counselling sector. The Tánaiste has not touched on a single one of those issues in his reply. I know that the issue is multifaceted. The Tánaiste says that the Government takes an overall approach. The Government is the only thing that can give those overarching bodies the power to suspend people who have committed offences like that. That is what I am asking the Tánaiste to look at. Will he please respond to it directly? Will he also tell us the number of people who have been suspended from the Defence Forces?

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