Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)

I welcome and support this Bill and I do so as a long-standing director of the south Tipperary domestic violence service. This is a quality support and refuge service operated by the amazing staff at Cuan Saor in Clonmel for over 30 years. It operates across the country.

The area of gender-based violence is an appalling vista - really worrying and deeply depressing. It is of epidemic proportions. We need urgent and immediate action by Government. The legal and court system is of particular difficulty. It re-traumatises victims and feeds into a situation where only 5% of sexual violence is reported to An Garda Síochána and only 14% of that makes it to trial.

Access to counselling notes is of particular concern. The accused and their legal teams have the ability to access counselling notes. Victims and survivors have said that this is extremely invasive and traumatic. As far back as 2021, the citizens' assembly called for the exclusion of these notes from evidence. Other jurisdictions have done so. I know the Minister is bringing forward legislation in this area but it needs to be absolute privilege - not ifs or buts and no grey areas.

The difficulty for victims and survivors does not end with the end of a court case even where there is a conviction and a term of imprisonment. As assailants' prison sentences end, many victims of rape, sexual assault and childhood sexual abuse are stressed, anxious and fearful. They fear meeting the perpetrators as they go about their daily lives. Civil protection orders are a common-sense and reasonable provision to protect victims and survivors and prevent assailants from communicating with or about complainants or approaching their place of residence, education or employment on their release from prison. I urge the Minister to bring forward this legislation urgently.

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