Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)

I welcome all the women who are here with us today and thank them for all the work they have done in ensuring this Bill comes forward and hopefully it will be passed. I also thank my colleagues, Deputy Matt Carthy and Senator Maria McCormack, for introducing this Bill to the Dáil.

As the Minister is aware, today is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, but as he is equally aware, too often that day passes simply with condemnation but no action. Here tonight we have the ability to act. We need to make sure today is different and that these women's voices are heard and are acted upon because we need to recognise the fact that there are so many institutional barriers placed in front of women, victims and survivors. They are unnecessary barriers which can and should be changed by this Chamber and we must change them. This Bill is a first step, and it is incredibly crucial because survivors have been clear in their ask. We have heard them. We need to listen to them, and we need to act upon that. Victims and survivors have spoken of the dread and fear that surrounds the date of release of the perpetrator; a day that is etched in their mind. They fear for themselves, for their family and for their children. We must do all in our power to support these survivors. The impact of this was particularly powerfully put in an email I received today. It said:

that is a day that I already fear. People say I need to live for now and enjoy my time while he is away. It sounds a bit like a waiting game for me to live my life until that dreadful day when my world becomes turned upside down yet again.

These are harrowing words which highlight the urgency of this Bill. The system should never add to the concern for the victim around their attacker's release date. Victims and survivors should be given the freedom to move on from that horrible experience, both physically and mentally. This is an important first step and we need to ensure we build on it. Every time I deal with survivors of gender-based violence, I come across institutional barriers that have been put in their way. One of the cruellest impacts of the housing crisis is the restraint it can place on women who are fleeing gender-based violence. That is too often forgotten in that debate and something we also need to work on.

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