Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

It does not send a very good signal that the Minister cares about this issue when only one Member from the Government side sat through this debate; it is actually an insult. Obviously, a few Members have come in now for Leaders' Questions. I want to run through some of the issues the Minister of State raised. Regarding the counselling notes, the Minister said earlier that there were no issues raised in the debate at the time, which is not true.

Issues were raised by several TDs, including me, at the time. I proposed an amendment stating that we need to ensure this operates as intended and not lead to the disclosure of counselling records becoming the norm. It has become the norm. The Rape Crisis network has confirmed that. I just want to correct the record on that. I will bring forward a Bill on this issue. I have yet to be convinced that any credible evidence is taken from a person's private therapy session. It is third-party information in any case. The Minister actually defended it in the original speech in 2017. The Government talks about a trauma-informed, survivor-centred approach, but nothing in our courts system or legal system provides that. There can be different rules for gender-based violence. Why not? I have absolutely no problem with that. It is a very different type of crime from shoplifting or whatever else so it is not a big deal to have different rules.

I agree that Jennie's Law also should be enacted. I did not get time to say that in my original contribution. One of the advantages of that would be to bring shame on the crime of domestic violence. That is the key reason. I also want to mention the DPP as I did not have time to deal with it. The Director of Public Prosecutions is choosing not to deal with this, and is vetoing the right of people to have their day in court. We saw that with Nikita Hand whom I commend. She bravely took on a multimillionaire celebrity with a massive social media profile. Let us consider the injuries in that situation and the DPP would not take the case. There are serious questions to answer there. Let people have their day in court.

I also want to mention the scale of misogynistic attitudes in society. The case of Gisèle Pelicot in France says it all. It was every man, men of all occupations, who abused and raped Gisèle Pelicot in the knowledge that she had been drugged. This is becoming an increasing problem.

I thank the survivors and the family members of the victims who have campaigned who are gathered here today. I ask them to continue, if they can, with this struggle because every time that any change has happened in this country, on any issue but especially in respect the rights of women or minorities, it has been because of pressure from outside this Dáil. It has never come from within. We saw that with the repeal of the eighth amendment, we saw it with marriage equality and we see it in violence against women. We will have to campaign to hold this Government to account and to make sure that it actually acts on this motion.

International Women's Day is our next focal point. On 8 March, there will be marches in Dublin at 1 p.m., in Limerick, Cork and hopefully in other towns and cities as well. Many of the survivors who have put themselves on the line, have gone through so much trauma and were retraumatised in our legal system have committed to support those marches. I appeal to trades unions, women's organisations, community groups and everybody else to turn out on those marches that are called by ROSA International Social Feminists, of which I am a founding member and which has led the way outside of the Dáil in bringing this issue centre stage. We need to say Ni una menos; that is the cry throughout Latin America against violence against women. It means "Not one woman less". Not one more woman should be lost to violence against women and to gender-based violence. We need massive turnouts on International Women's Day because the complacency is clear. We saw it here earlier in the debate when the Minister left for a press opportunity and left somebody else to deputise for him. Not one of the other Members of Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael-----

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