Ivana Bacik (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. I welcome the news that this Bill is due to pass today and will be brought into effect, as the Minister said, for 3 May. That will be a major relief for the many who have been so distressed by the anomalies and unintended consequences, as we have heard, brought about by the interpretation of the Children Act. I commend Senator McDowell and his colleagues on bringing forward the amending legislation so quickly and swiftly. While the Senator said that the progress through the Houses was somewhat slow, it has been relatively speedy and that is really welcome. On behalf of the Labour Party, I very much welcome it.

I also thank the Minister more generally for her engagement, not just with Senator McDowell on this Bill, but with many of us in opposition on different Private Members' Bills. That has been a real strength, if I may say, of the legislative process over recent months. I thank her for her engagement with the Labour group in this House on the Born Here Belong Here campaign and reform of citizenship law. I also thank her for her engagement with my colleague, Deputy Howlin, on his Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020, or Coco's law, which we were also glad to see come into effect.

I ask the Minister to take note of reports at the weekend, in particular the piece in Saturday's edition of The Irish Timesby Jennifer O'Connell, recounting the experience of a young University College Cork, UCC, law student, Alicia O'Sullivan, who was a victim of image-based sexual abuse and identity theft, effectively. She reported the matter to the Garda under Coco's law and, unfortunately, did not receive a very empathetic or helpful reception.It reminds us that it is not only about passing legal reforms to assist victims but also the need for training for members of the Garda, particularly front-line members who are taking reports from individuals where offences have been committed or allegedly committed. While training for the Garda is hugely important, so too are public awareness campaigns in order that people generally, as well as police, are aware that new laws such as Coco's law have come into effect and are aware that the sort of behaviour that Alicia O'Sullivan had to bring to the Garda's attention is a criminal offence. The report in the newspaper recounted that the social media host, which was Instagram, reacted swiftly but, of course, that is not always the case. Clearly, where criminal offences of this magnitude are involved, the Garda needs to take the matter much more seriously than they appeared to have done. While my party welcomes the passage of this legislation and welcomed Coco's law, I ask the Minister that consideration be given to a public awareness campaign on Coco's law and to training for members of the Garda.