Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I also had not intended to speak but it is important that we do in welcoming the Minister and this Bill to the House. I commend him for his pro-activity and as Senator McFadden said, this Minister has, in the traditions of Ministers for justice, been very strong in his approach to equality and diversity, but also in putting in place legislation that protects women. I commend him for that. We may disagree on some issues but I am very proud of this Minister, not just in this Department but also when he was in opposition and was Fine Gael spokesperson.

We have international obligations that we must ratify and uphold. The contributions of other Members of the House recognise the importance of the Istanbul Convention. As Senator McFadden has said one in four women are affected. That is not a statistic. They are women, members of our own family, in our workplace, in our communities, who require us to not just look after them but to protect them. That is why this is important.

When I hear sometimes that this is technical legislation, it does not do justice to what we are doing here. We signed up to the Istanbul Convention in 2015. This was a stepping stone in getting to today. That took leadership from us in the Oireachtas, and from a Minister in a Department, and from a Government. I want to welcome this Bill. We in this House are very supportive of the Minister in bringing the Bill into this House, to have it initiated here. We are saying to those who think it is okay or who think they can get away with any type of offence, whether sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault or rape - all are relevant - that they will not. I sit on the joint policing authority in Cork city and county, and at one level it is disturbing, but on another level it gives one a sense of where we are at. One sees the number of incidents of domestic violence or violence against women being reported increasing every week and month. That means people have the confidence to come forward, to seek help and retribution and to be able to tell their story. I commend the Minister for the work he is doing here and I support the Bill.