Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I concur with my colleague in expressing sympathy to the families of the victims of the appalling attack in Syria.There were dreadful reports from there and from St. Petersburg in Russia, where another attack took place.

I wish to ask the Leader about his announcement that we will be taking the Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016 before the Companies (Accounting) Bill 2016. This is a late change to the schedule and I am concerned that we were not given notice of it.

I welcome the announcement of a root-and-branch review of the Garda in light of the very disturbing reports on discrepancies in policing figures, including the 1 million breath tests that did not take place. That matter was debated in this House and elsewhere but we should have a discussion on the content of the review. At the weekend, Labour published draft terms of reference for a root-and-branch review and argued that any Patten-style commission conducting such a review should be tasked with a specific list of functions and given a tight timeframe, namely, to report by summer 2018 and to consider items that include a clear framework of accountability to be enshrined in law. For example, it should consider reforms needed in respect of Policing Authority powers and those of the Garda Síochána Inspectorate. I hope we will see the detail of that emerging from the Cabinet and I ask the Leader for a debate on the terms of reference for any such commission. I also urge that such a commission would not be in any way used to delay necessary reforms. For example, it is welcome to see the proposed very comprehensive reform or, indeed, disbandment of the traffic corps. We need to see reforms and the root-and-branch review.

I also seek a debate on online abuse and the legislative measures necessary to tackle this. This morning, the Labour Party published the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2017, which is really a proposal for criminal law reform arising from the Law Reform Commission report last year and concerns many have expressed to us about levels of online abuse that many people suffer. These are people in public life and those in intimate partner relationships where abuse is taking place. We heard a very eloquent testimony this morning from Ms Margaret Martin, the director of Womens Aid, about the way in which social media and online communication is being used as a tool of abuse within intimate partner relationships as part of a domestic violence framework. We really need to update our laws in order to tackle this. I ask that we have a debate in this House on that and we will certainly bring forward that legislation in our Private Members' time in any event.

I welcome the European Union draft negotiation guidelines on Brexit, which were published on Friday, and, in particular, the priority of preserving the Northern Ireland peace process that has been attached. I raise some concern about Mr. Michael Howard's very disturbing comments on Gibraltar at the weekend. Many people would share the concern we all feel about that so it is very important that we stay a very steady course in pushing for priority for Northern Ireland rather than becoming distracted by such talk.