Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit agus gabhaim comhgairdeas leí as ucht an post a fuair sí.

Senator McDonald has to be commended for her passion. I compliment her on her fine speech.

I would like to begin by making reference to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. If we start with primitive needs and work towards self-actualisation, we need to begin with education. We need a proper education programme in our schools to allow young people to realise their potential.

The Minister of State quoted the President and they are both correct. Civil society has a vital role to play on the important topic of domestic and sexual violence. We must bring about change within the community and the schools system, but it must be led by the Government and public representatives. There is a starting point with the publication of the national strategy, but we need to bring about change to create a culture that will allow the reporting of abuse and action to be taken by the courts which have to demonstrate in sentencing that this behaviour will not be tolerated or condoned. The Listowel case indicates there is a soft underbelly in society that must be eradicated. We can no longer allow the victim to be seen as the villain. We must learn that message from the Listowel case.

As someone who taught religion for nearly 20 years, who spent many years in Maynooth doing pastoral work and who is very involved in his community, Article 5 of the United Declaration on Human Rights always jumps out at me. It states no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment. In talking to women and some men in our society today that article means nothing to them because they are subject to such cruel and inhumane treatment. Young women and men who have been the victims of abuse have come to me. They have seen barring orders being breached and have had to put their children under the bed or up in the attic at 4 a.m. before going downstairs to meet their former partners. I have also dealt with gay men who have been abused. We all see physical abuse, but we cannot understand emotional abuse or the effects on children. I have dealt with children in school who were afraid to go home, wondered when it was going to happen again and whether they were the only children to be affected by such abuse. I have seen shelters full of women who had no place to go to.

This is not about politics. Senator McDonald is right in saying that, if we learn nothing else from cases of abuse in the Catholic Church, it is that we must collectively transfer all of the information into the public domain. We must wash the sins in public and no longer excuse or condone mistreatment. There is a need for joined-up thinking between the law, the Garda Síochána, the local authorities and the Government. All the t's must be crossed to ensure action will be taken. If we start from the premise that this is about protection, provision and prevention, we will have a good launching pad. Senator Bacik referred to the number of men and women involved. In Cork some 20% of those attending the sexual violence centre are men. However, we will never know the true figures because many women and men are afraid to admit what has occurred to them and will not seek help. As a result, they suffer in silence, which is not good enough.

I pay tribute to Mary Crilly in Cork who has been a campaigner and women's rights advocate for many years. She acts in an admirable and provocative way, while also being humane, caring and concerned. In addition to healing with words, we must implement strategies to allow victims of domestic violence to be heard in a multiplicity of ways.

I welcome publication of the national strategy on domestic violence. I hope it is not just aspirational but will result in action. I do not believe many gardaí and teachers have been trained to deal with the results of domestic violence. In addition, the resources provided are insufficient. If we are serious about tackling this matter, we must put in place structures and mechanisms to stop the knock-on effects of domestic violence, as well as providing safe havens for the victims involved. The education system should imbue children from a young age with respect for human values. We must also tackle problems such as intimidation, physical violence and sexual abuse, making it clear that they have no place in society. The national strategy must have a firm foundation in our schools, be it in religious education or SPHE classes.

Women are physically abused every day, while trapped in their own homes. It is telling that this is occurring in their own homes. The ethos of having respect for and valuing each other must be enshrined in law. The courts have a major role to play because they have abdicated their responsibility in this regard. I might not be very popular for saying this, but I think that is what they have done. Senator McDonald is right in referring to the family law court and the way in which women are not allowed privacy in making their case. I have accompanied women to the door of the court, yet they are afraid to go any further. They are afraid of being seen by the perpetrator or his family. There is intimidation by the family of the perpetrator who say, "He did not mean it,""It's the drink," or "It's the drugs." That is no longer acceptable.

It comes back to the issue of resources, financing and prioritisation. Many agencies in Cork, including women refuges, do not have enough beds and, therefore, cannot cope. While I will not name the areas involved, I know that some such organisations have insufficient places for victims of domestic violence because the beds available are full or the women involved are separated from their children. It is unacceptable in the 21st century to separate a woman from her children.

Where the terms of barring orders are breached, there should be no second chance. It may not be the legally correct thing to say but, to my mind, one cannot keep giving people chances when they breach the terms of a barring order. Such orders are granted for a specific reason. If we amend the Domestic Violence Act, we will have done a great service for women, in particular, but also for male victims. I hope we will see reform of the criminal justice system in this regard because it is long overdue.

Mná Feasa is an organisation in Cork which provides a support system for women. Its slogan is, "You don't need a bruise to be abused". Women should not have to suffer in silence. They deserve not just respect, but also the protection of the courts and implementation of the law. It is time we stopped merely debating such matters but acted on them. I appeal to the Judiciary to implement the law and hand down sentences which will send a message that we will no longer allow this situation to continue. Women deserve no less.