Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Coppinger raised an important issue. Gender-based violence is not nationality focused, or exclusive to any person irrespective of race, creed or colour. It is something we need collectively to rid out of society. It takes a lot of work. We have policies relating to it in this Government. As Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, did a lot of good work in this area. Her successor, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, is following up on that. Under the shared island initiative, we have a joint programme on gender-based violence with Northern Ireland to try to develop a programme to educate and get awareness of the issue.

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