Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I am delighted to contribute to this debate. I appreciate the Government's decision to give time for a discussion on this issue. Previous speakers have referred in great detail to the proposals and views outlined in the Women's Aid report. I fully and thoroughly support what Women's Aid has to say. I will not go through the issues again, but I will deal with some of the matters arising from them. I would like to reiterate that I am very supportive of the case made by Women's Aid.

We should recognise that we have created a very macho society since we started to develop from cave men and women. Many problems arise from the fact that this is a very macho world in terms of how we organise our society. There is a lack of understanding of how we should organise society and interact with each other. It is appalling, in this day and age, that sophisticated people who are part of a civilised society should take court cases on the matter of whether women should be allowed to join golf clubs. That is where it starts. The time of the courts is being wasted on this nonsense. Some of the male leaders of our society feel that it is important to take a stand to prevent women from joining golf clubs. This tells one all one needs to know about Irish society at that level. Many men feel embarrassed by such behaviour.

There are similar problems in restaurants. If I walk into a restaurant at lunch time I can tell immediately by counting the suits whether it is a male restaurant or a real restaurant. One can feel utterly claustrophobic when one walks into many restaurants around this area, only to see many large men in large suits without any women in sight. This is what is coming from our society.

I notice that an alarm bell has started to ring in the Chamber.