Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Hopefully, we will make some progress in completing Committee Stage of the Judicial Appointments Bill. I commend the Minister on a comprehensive speech and I am delighted that this last legislative requirement, which is quite technical but far more serious than that, will enable us to ratify the Istanbul Convention. I am delighted we will facilitate its passage through this House and, hopefully, our colleagues in the Lower House will not delay the passage. As Senator Higgins and others pointed out, the ratification of the Istanbul Convention is extremely important. It will mean us manning up - and indeed womanning up - to our international obligations. We have signed up to this and we need to ratify it.

When Irish citizens commit crimes abroad we should be able to prosecute them when they come back, without any extradition being involved. We should be able to bring them before our courts as if the crime had happened on our soil because crime is now a borderless activity. People are far more upwardly mobile and can hop on and off planes and boats in the way they get on trains and buses. This legislation is extremely important from this perspective.

Many victims of domestic violence see this country's ratification of the Istanbul Convention as a vote of confidence in them and a recognition by society of the challenges and difficulties they have faced. Domestic violence is abhorrent and it happens too often and in too many circumstances in this country.This legislation will bring us into line with best international practice, which is extremely important. I spoke to the Minister on this particular issue five to six weeks ago, on the very same day that my colleague, Senator McFadden, and I had a Commencement matter on this issue. We shared time. The Minister was committed to dealing with this issue in a timely manner and I am delighted that this side of Christmas we may move to Second Stage and that this House will not oppose it and there will be no division on this Bill. In the good traditions of Seanad Éireann we tend to unite on a matter which is of national importance. This Bill is of national importance and it does feed into our signing up to our international obligations. I hope that the best interests of the citizens of this country will unite us all, and that we will be behind the Minister in the very important work he is doing in getting this legislation over the line. I will look forward in late January to early February where we can move on to Committee Stage and pass this legislation. I urge and encourage our colleagues in the Lower House to expedite the passage of this legislation as quickly as possible. We can then ratify the Istanbul Convention.

In the environment we are in, with the #MeToo campaign and women speaking out against all sorts of misogyny, domestic violence and inappropriate activity, behaviour and commentary towards women, Ireland will then be very much playing its part in the international campaign against domestic violence.