Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Violence against women is a global problem. It happens in so-called capitalist societies, socialist societies, religious communities and secular communities. It happens across the world. It may have an increasing risk in areas of deprivation and poverty but it is not related to income or social status either. We have our own background of patriarchy and misogynistic history but even in modern Ireland today, the level of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is totally unacceptable. We have by no means lived up to our commitments under the Istanbul Convention.

The facts are stark. One in four women in Ireland has been abused by a partner or former partner; 5% of women who experience sexual assault report it to the Garda, with only 14% making it to trial. The legal system, as others have described, is harrowing. In 2023, there were almost 29,000 contacts with Women's Aid. A domestic abuse motive was recorded for 90% of women in relation to victims of murder, manslaughter and infanticide. Women are more likely to be injured as a result of violence and need medical attention. Since 1996, more than 270 women have died violently in the Republic of Ireland. We are by no means a shining example in any case. We had legislation such as the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 and the Domestic Violence Act 2018 to aid the protection of victims of domestic violence. Still, there were 25,570 applications to the District Court for gender-based violence against women in 2023 versus 23,536 in 2022. There an increase of 10% every year in domestic abuse cases brought before the District Court. It is abhorrent.

We have increased sentencing for domestic violence from five to ten years, passed by the Minister for Justice, but way more needs to be done. There need to be consequences. We must end the practice of character references before sentencing for those convicted in cases of gender-based violence. We must protect the confidentiality right to privacy and therapeutic healthcare for victims. Advocacy should be provided as well as representation for complainants in the courts process. It is necessary to end rape myths in the courtroom, and to invest in and recruit court personnel so that nobody must wait more than a year for sexual assault, rape or gender-based violence cases. We need educational programmes in schools to challenge misogyny and gender violence. There should be mechanisms to make accountable and even recall judges who make misogynistic and insensitive rulings. We must prioritise accommodation for women and children who have been abused because housing, accommodation and refuges are a major issue in our country. We should introduce Valerie's law, as previously referenced, to remove guardianship rights from those who kill the other parent of children. We must provide femicide and intimate partner violence training for gardaí. We should introduce Jennie's law, a domestic violence register to make available information about anyone with a conviction for domestic violence. On 11 February, in reply to me, the Minister for Justice referred to a scheme in the programme for Government in respect of domestic violence, but this did not include a domestic violence register. There is no mention of this legislation, only a reference to working with gardaí. We need to have some legal mechanism and to bring in Jennie's law.

In the minute I have left, I will talk about the wider societal issue. Among influencers on YouTube, TikTok, all across social media and even on mundane and mind-numbing programmes like "Love Island", it is seen as acceptable for men to commit misogynistic acts against women, for women to forgive all kinds of abuses and bad treatment, and for that to be seen as the norm on our national TV. It is not the norm. These people are making money online perpetuating the myth that somehow men have been hard done by and that somehow ensuring women have their rights means men are being hard pressed. It is not the case. We need to work in society as well as in the education system to make sure that this pervasive influence is dealt with. We have to deal with the algorithms in social media as well.

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