Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I offer my thanks to Senator Chambers and to our Minister for Justice for taking this Bill. From my own experience as a Minister, I know that too often people are of the opinion that the only people who can draft legislation are the very learned people we deal with in the Attorney General's office. No Department or section of the Oireachtas has a monopoly on wisdom, compassion or passion for particular problems the country has. Here we have two women, the leader of the Fianna Fáil group in the Seanad, Senator Lisa Chambers, and our female Minister for Justice, who have both recognised in the last year and since their appointment that we have a serious problem in this country. We have a problem with addressing and acknowledging the lived experiences of women with regard to violent crime, sexual crime, intimidation and harassment and issues relating to access to medical services, equality of opportunity in the workplace and equal participation on boards around the country or at our own Cabinet table. There are myriad forms of discrimination and dysfunction to be seen in Irish services when it comes to providing a happy, balanced and fulfilled life for the women and girls of this country, something which is sadly lacking. Over this week and last week, the watershed moment of the awful tragedy of the passing of Ashling Murphy has allowed women to solidify what we have all thought in our minds but never really expressed out loud because we constantly get told to stop whingeing about stuff. The days of not being brave enough to be able to stand up and say what we need to say about every facet of life for Irish women are long gone.

I am really proud to see the co-operation involved in this Private Members' Bill, which was so passionately introduced, researched and drafted by Senator Chambers, supported by Una and Eve, last year. What we have heard is only a drop in the ocean as regards the experiences of the harassment and stalking of women that prevails in this country. The co-operation of the Department of Justice is heartening to see. I want to put that on the record and welcome the Minister's commitment to working with Senator Chambers.

What is also really important arising from that watershed moment of Ashling passing last week is that we do not lump everything in together. We must show women due respect and take each individual disenfranchisement of women in Irish life seriously. We must shine a light and provide a window to talk about each and every instance. It is not just about violent or sexual crime, but all of the other discrimination that women and girls face in this country, which we so often brush aside. After this watershed moment, we must all co-operate and maintain this conversation's momentum in the weeks and months ahead. The Minister knows that she has a mammoth task ahead of her. I really do wish her well with it. She will succeed and we will all succeed and benefit from her passion in this particular area, particularly in respect of gender-based violence. Women are disenfranchised and many of our State services are disengaged from allowing women and girls to have a full, balanced and happy life in this country. There is a long list of things that need to be addressed. This is a very welcome start. I commend Senator Chambers for doing this and for having the tenacity of personality to see it through to the end. I congratulate the Senator.