Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The senseless killing of Ashling Murphy two weeks ago took a wonderful young woman from her family and from her wider community. It also led to an outpouring of grief the length and breadth of the country.

In thinking of Ashling, we also remember Urantsetseg Tserendorj, Jastine Valdez, Ana Kriégel, Nadine Lott, and so many other women who have been, and are, victims of violence against women. As we grieved for Ashling, I believe that as a society we have also determined that we will no longer tolerate violence and abuse against women, and we all now share the same goal that there must be zero tolerance of violence against women.

The clear commitment from every person to do what it takes at an individual and a collective level, to work towards our aim of zero tolerance for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, shows that as a society we have indeed had enough. We, as political leaders, must lead on this, but there is no one thing we can do or no one law we can pass. No one group, no one organisation and no one policy will achieve this aim. This is a shared responsibility. Everyone has a role in creating a society free from all forms of violence against women. Everyone has a role in ensuring the focus and determination we have seen over the past fortnight is maintained.

As the Minister for Justice, my role will include overseeing the third national strategy to combat domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, and driving its implementation. This new plan will set an overall goal of zero tolerance in respect of violence and abuse against women. It will be based on the four key pillars of the Istanbul Convention: prevention; prosecution; protection; and policy co-ordination. Prevention in this context will, of course, include education and, as ever, education is absolutely key. We have programmes that work, and we must ensure they are implemented across our education system from primary to third level. Again, no one grouping has responsibility. That education piece must take place outside of the schools too, in our homes, our workplaces and where we socialise.

Over the past number of years, my Department has worked to raise awareness generally about how we, as a society, need to stop excusing unacceptable behaviour. Campaigns like No Excuses highlight our determination to challenge people and the culture, prejudice and values that allow any form of sexual harassment or sexual violence. Our forthcoming programmes, such as the campaign on consent and healthy relationships, will continue raising these very difficult topics. We will keep working with society to change behaviours with a view to decreasing instances of sexual violence and to make sure that victims know what supports are available to them.

I will also continue working to reform our justice system to ensure that vulnerable victims are met with sensitivity, respect and professionalism on every step of their difficult and brave journey. The ongoing implementation of Supporting a Victim's Journey seeks to improve the criminal justice system at every single point a victim comes into contact with it, through actions such as training for gardaí, legal professionals and the Judiciary.

Protection also includes ensuring that when women take the difficult step to come forward, any supports they need are in place. That might be a refuge space, financial supports or health supports. It might be supporting more women to live safely in their homes if that, is their choice. Whatever it is, we must ensure that those supports are there.

The new strategy will contain practical steps for the delivery of additional refuge spaces, for example. The strategy will be underpinned by clear actions, timelines for reform and robust accountability mechanisms. It will be resourced as it should be.

As part of the prosecution element, I will focus on strengthening legislation in this area. In the coming months, I will move to create a new criminal offence of non-fatal strangulation and, as we discussed in the House earlier, I will work with Senator Chambers and others to create a new criminal offence for stalking. Both offences are covered by existing law, but we want to ensure that the law is strong and clear. I want to encourage victims to come forward. We can do so by strengthening the law.

Later this year I will publish a new hate crime Bill that will introduce new, specific aggravated offences with enhanced penalties for crimes motivated by prejudice against certain characteristics, including gender. This will mean that certain types of crimes can be prosecuted as hate crimes where they are motivated by misogyny. I will also publish a new sexual offences Bill, which will introduce important changes including extending victim anonymity to further categories of victims, and legal representation for victims. I will shortly sign an order to bring into operation the Criminal Procedure Act 2021 allowing for pretrial hearings. This will, I hope, reduce delays in the trial process that might otherwise re-traumatise vulnerable victims.

Under the policy co-ordination pillar we will bring all of our efforts together. At Government level, we will make sure that we are working with, and listening to, our partners who deliver services and work with victims on the front line. Our work will continue to be driven by their expertise and understanding. This will ensure we are more co-ordinated and more effective in our approach and our responses. Following consultation with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, it has been decided that the responsibility for policy and service provision for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence will be combined under the Department of Justice. Work is under way on how this will be structured, and the Taoiseach has already indicated that his office will also play a key role in this. We will announce further details in the coming weeks on how this will work.

This new strategy will be a living, breathing document. It will evolve and it will improve as we continue to live and learn from experience. An important part of that will be driven by the different viewpoints we hear, and particularly by the insights of victims and survivors. As I said earlier, it is so important that in everything we do we listen to the lived experience, good, bad or indifferent.

As I noted earlier, everyone has a role to play in this work. Over the past fortnight we have clearly seen a desire for change. We have heard it in these Houses, we have heard it on the streets, and we have heard it on the airwaves. I know I speak for the vast majority of society when I say we have been deeply moved and troubled by the sometimes harrowing, and always affecting, stories and recollections of the personal experiences that have come from so many women of all ages and backgrounds, and, indeed, from so many women in this Chamber and in the Dáil.

While as a Government we are progressing and prioritising work in this area, we are of course ready to listen to any thoughts, ideas and recommendations from Members of this House. I will also conduct further consultation on the strategy in the weeks ahead. I encourage people to make their views known. It is absolutely clear to me that at present there is a focus, a determination and an absolute urgency in the work we are doing in this area. We must channel that carefully and strategically to get to where we want to be, which is a society that has zero tolerance for any kind of violence or abuse against women. I have said that this path to change will be long and difficult, which it will be, but I believe that by working together we can bring about change. Fear of harassment and violence should never be normalised and nobody should have to go about their daily life thinking about how they can keep themselves safe. It is simply not acceptable. By working together we can achieve that zero tolerance and we can bring about change for the better.