Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Perhaps the following has been raised, but if it has not it needs to be. The Rape Crisis Network published a report this morning about the age of perpetrators abusing children and young teenagers. We have known for some time that abuse is likely to be within families but the average age of perpetrators is 26, much younger than we thought. In some cases the abuse is by child perpetrators on younger children in the family. This should be of concern to everybody in this House because we know a cycle of abuse is repeated if it is not healed and rehabilitated. I seek a cross-Government response. Education needs to respond urgently. The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, needs to act on the influence of pornography, which has been brought up in this House before, the early sexualisation of girls and poor role models such as Miley Cyrus. Sinead O'Connor's response to that recent incident was highly influential and much welcomed, but we cannot stand idly by and pretend it does not matter. The budget is on our minds, as is the recent referendum, but we must consider the health and welfare of our young girls in particular, because 97% of the children being abused are girls. I ask the Leader to put it on the agenda.