John Dolan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The European Commission has declared 2017 the European year of focussed action to combat violence against women and girls. Women and girls with migrant backgrounds, refugee women, asylum seekers, women and girls with disabilities, lesbians, transgender and intersex women, Roma women and children, Muslims, black women, homeless women, elderly and young women - the list goes on. There is hardly a group of women that is not on it. Women and children with disabilities are on that list as well. This is a massive issue.

Anna Peláez, the chair of the women's committee of the European Disability Forum, is calling for the immediate ratification of the Council of Europe's Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, that is, the Istanbul convention. That convention has implications for the convention on the rights of people with disabilities. Dr. Edith Schratzberger-Vecsei, the president of the European Women's Lobby, addressed the issue today while marking International Women's Day. She said we must break the silence around violence against women and girls and that we need to speak up. She asked how much more evidence we need before decision makers will take action, and how many more women should be beaten, raped, killed, prostituted, or harassed before Europe will find it unacceptable.

There was a Malta joint statement of 3 February this year which involved three key institutions - the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council Presidency. They made a strong call for action to the member states, which includes little Ireland, asking them to ratify and fully implement the Istanbul convention. Women with disabilities are two to five times more likely to be victims of violence than non-disabled women and are subject to sterilisation and abortions, often against their will. There are 46 million women and girls with disabilities in Europe, representing 60% of the disabled population of Europe. Some 34% of women with a health problem or disability experience physical or sexual violence by a partner in their lifetime.The House must debate the Malta joint statement and the Istanbul convention. I ask the Leader to facilitate that discussion.

Today marks an important anniversary relating to certain former Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas. It was 35 years ago today that the then Deputies Tony Gregory and Charles Haughey signed the Gregory deal.