Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Taoiseach and agree that cultural change is needed to stamp out and make what we have called everyday sexism, harassment and gender-based violence a thing of the past in different institutions. I welcome that the Taoiseach said that, where appropriate, criminal investigations by the Garda are under way. The question is what the Government will do now about this. What practical steps can Government and all of us as legislators take to achieve real zero tolerance? What is concerning about the FAI programme is it took a tweet from Olivia O'Toole two years ago to shine the light that led to the disclosures of abuse. What was horrifying for me in watching the documentary was that the women involved did not know there was a collective experience. Until they came together because of the journalistic investigation , they thought they were the only ones who had been harassed and abused. Unfortunately, that is the reality in far too many settings. I call on the Government to establish a mechanism whereby those who have been abused within sporting organisations can come forward and tell their stories and ensures that their experiences can be addressed, criminal investigations commenced where appropriate and that we see proper accountability and safeguards put in place across all sporting organisations.

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