Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would like to join in with others in expressing solidarity with Ms Joanne Hayes and her family in the context of the reopening of the case. I am glad to see it reopened. However, I do think a State apology would be appropriate. Like others, I was too young to know the details of the case at the time. I do remember in school hearing about it and being aware even then of the immensely brutal way in which Ms Hayes was treated by the gardaí.At the time a "heavy gang" was operating within the Garda and there was quite a notorious culture with regard to the extraction of confessions. Mr. Brendan Kennelly at the time described the treatment of Joanne Hayes as being akin to a medieval witch hunt. At the time, there were a number of appalling cases in which the State failed women, particularly young women. I am thinking about the Ann Lovett tragedy that occurred around the same time. It was just the year after the eighth amendment had been passed and Members will have a debate on the committee's report on that today. Perhaps it is a time for us to reflect, looking back on those events decades ago, on how the State mistreated women and how we hope things have changed. A State apology would reflect that change and give recognition to the immense injustice done to Joanne Hayes and her family at the time.

I ask for a debate on the ongoing crisis in Syria. Unfortunately, we saw some very sad developments over the Christmas break as there is a real and ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ghouta and Idlib. Members will have a debate on foreign affairs in the coming weeks and I might raise this with the Minister in that context. I will certainly raise it at the foreign affairs committee. It is important that Ireland should do as much as we can to highlight the extreme emergencies of east Ghouta and Idlib and the immense pressure on civilians. I know quite a number of patients are awaiting medical evacuations in besieged eastern Ghouta but despite quite a bit of public focus on that crisis over Christmas, only 29 of those patients have been evacuated and at least 529 more still require urgent medical treatment. It is a similar position for people awaiting medical treatment in Idlib, where there are increasing civilian casualties. It is a somewhat forgotten tragedy in the sense that public focus has shifted somewhat from it but I hope we can raise it with the Minister in a debate in this House in the coming weeks.

I welcome the announcement in the legislative programme for this term that we will have progress on the gender pay gap transparency legislation. I had the pleasure of speaking at a symposium on the gender pay gap last week organised by the Ministers responsible for justice and business and enterprise. They gave assurances and the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, in particular indicated he would progress our Private Members' Bill, which has passed through Second and Committee Stages in this House with Government support. I ask the Leader to make inquiries as to when we might see the Bill on Report Stage and if it can be debated in Government time or it needs to be discussed in Private Members' time as a Labour Bill.