Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this legislation and thank the Minister for bringing it forward. I commend the work of all organisations supporting survivors and victims of domestic and sexual violence. I also commend the victims and survivors themselves who have spoken out.

Domestic and sexual violence is a poison. It touches every part of our society. It demands that we shine a light, raise awareness and go above and beyond the call of duty in providing support to victims and survivors. I say that in the context of refuges which are under sustained pressure. As Mayor of South Dublin I learned of the work of the Saoirse Women's Refuge and was proud to support it but that refuge had to turn away 80% of the women who came to it for support in recent years. If we are serious about women's rights and LGBT rights, then this is an area that needs our continued and increased support.

In our election manifesto in 2016 - some of which is being addressed in this legislation - Sinn Féin made a commitment to significantly increase funding to domestic violence support organisations. We also made a commitment to implement the Istanbul Convention. Further, we promised that should survivors be named on a mortgage with their former abusers, we would remove any obstacles to them accessing social housing. We also committed to ensuring that gardaí are adequately skilled and trained to enable them to protect and support vulnerable people, including victims of child sexual exploitation, vulnerable adults, domestic violence victims, victims of trafficking and people with mental health difficulties.

In its report entitled Burning Issues 2, the National LGBT Federation called for the introduction of mandatory LGBT equality and awareness training for all public service providers. The Rape Crisis Network produced a report last year highlighting the barriers facing victims of sexual violence and noted that such barriers were significantly higher for LGBT people. I commend the network for that report.

Above all else, it highlighted the need for hate crime legislation in efforts to address racism, sectarianism and homophobia in society. It is a critical report, containing very important expert information and research, commissioned by the Rape Crisis Network, the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network, GLEN, and Gay Switchboard. The report highlighted the added vulnerability of members of the LGBT community in this sphere. All victims of sexual and domestic violence face barriers when contacting support services. However, it is critical that we take into account that this experience can be significantly worse for LGBT survivors, 50% of whom wait more than ten years before reporting abuse compared with 20% of heterosexual survivors. We must ensure that our public policy is in line with international best practice and information such as that contained in the aforementioned report is critical in this regard. LGBT people face a consistent struggle for visibility against persistent erasure and for that reason, I thank the Rape Crisis Network and all feminists who were involved in preparing that report.

Ms Lynn Boylan, MEP, has been to the fore in the European Parliament in calling for paid leave for survivors of domestic violence. This is a valuable idea and such a provision has already been introduced in Australia and the United States of America. The European Parliament voted in favour of such a provision last year. We need determined efforts to combat domestic violence on the part of the European Commission and member states, including considering the introduction of paid special leave for victims and survivors of such violence.

I again thank the Minister for bringing this legislation before the House. As Senator Conway-Walsh has already mentioned, Sinn Féin will be proposing positive amendments as the Bill moves through the legislative process that we hope will improve it. It is also my hope that LGBT-proofing of public policy, including policy relating to sexual and domestic violence, will become the norm and Sinn Féin will seek to aid that process.