Lisa McDonald (Fianna Fail)

On a separate issue, I want to call for a debate on sexual offences against women. There has been an enormous number of murders involving women victims, violence against women in the home etc., and this area seems to be slipping on the political agenda. During the week we had a debate on human trafficking when the issue of prostitution arose and whether the users of such sexual services should be criminalised within this jurisdiction. I note with interest that the Governor of New York State, Eliot Spitzer, has resigned on that very issue — and that in the District of Columbia it is a felony to use prostitution services. This should be brought into that whole debate, and the Minister has said he would look at it in that context.

In Ireland we require structures with regard to domestic violence. The domestic violence unit is used in Ireland to trap pimps and prostitutes but it should be employed where it is needed. If we had structures in respect of domestic violence and proper agencies either at local authority level or within the HSE to deal with this, we could contain the problem, which is being exacerbated by increased alcohol consumption in the home, another issue that might be brought into the debate.

I have noted with dismay this morning the application by Cork Institute of Technology for university status, as is its right. However, there is a special need for a university in the south east. If all the other institutes of technology are going to demand university status that will not help the very special case being made by the south east. Copious calls to the Leader have been made for a debate in this regard during this and the previous session. I again ask for one to be held.