Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Social Democrats for this important and thoughtful motion. It provides us with a further opportunity to highlight the blight of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in our society. I again pay tribute to the fantastic Natasha O'Brien, Bláthnaid Raleigh, the courageous Women of Honour - and men - and the many others we know who have been, and still are, suffering in silence.

It was important yesterday to hear the Taoiseach speak about the need to change the culture. That much is true, but we also need to acknowledge that 80% of victims knew their attacker and, strikingly, fewer than half told anyone about the attack. This points to systemic issues. The Department of Justice needs to ask why many victims do not have confidence to come forward. That is linked with the stark fact that only 14% of rapes reported in 2021 resulted in prosecution.

We also need to talk about the difficulties victims have in being believed. What is going to be done about the fact that only 5% of adults who experience sexual violence report the crime? Some 60% of those who did not report the crime said it was because they did not think the abuse was serious enough. One third did not do so because of feelings of shame and embarrassment. In the same year that Women's Aid had the highest number of disclosures in its 50-year history, the CSO sexual violence survey revealed that rates of reporting are still incredibly low.

Regarding regulating sectors, I asked the Minister for Health about the professions of psychology, counselling and psychotherapy. In his response to the parliamentary question I tabled, the Minister stated, "it is not possible to say with any degree of accuracy when the professions will be fully regulated. I would anticipate that these registration boards will require several years to complete their work." That is very stark indeed.

Clare Haven Services does fantastic work with very little in the way of resources. It only has six units and was under severe pressure in June. Since I was elected, I have never known a period when it was not under pressure. The lack of step-down accommodation is pushing these victims either into homelessness or back to their abuser, and that is unacceptable.

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