Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I endorse Deputy Nash's request for that commitment from the Minister of State that he will look at this and work on getting a solution to it. It would be very welcome if he would do that. I will make a point to him. I accept his bona fides in what he is saying about the Supreme Court ruling on the Zalewski case. What is pertinent in that ruling is that, because of the quasi-judicial role involved here, there must be cognisance of the need to follow fair procedures. Deputies Nash and Doherty, the Minister of State and I all recognise that accommodating those who have been put in horrendous situations and their access to recourse must be at the heart of fair procedure. There is nothing fair in a procedure that excludes them from recourse. I bring that point strongly to the Minister of State's attention. With regard to the Zalewski case, the access to fair procedure he has talked about has to apply to people who have been in abusive relationships, who have been subject to coercive control or who have suffered horrendous abuse in their relationships. There must be fair procedure for them. Any reading of the Zalewski case ruling and the reference to fair procedure would surely acknowledge that access to fair procedure must apply to people in those situations.

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