Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

FI thank the Minister for taking this debate. In preparing a few words for today, I want to open with a quote from someone who I much admire, a former abbot general of Glenstal Abbey, Mark Patrick Hederman. I think it is apt and appropriate for today's debate. He states:

When we as citizens have courage, that does not mean we have the means. But it does mean that we can stand up for ourselves. And then the Government have to follow on. I don't think the Government does anything really creatively, until they have to do it by the law of necessity. It is only with necessity that the law changes.

That is profound and that represents public opinion and public power. I took time the other morning. I chose to come in at 6.30 a.m., as it became dark into light on Kildare Street outside Leinster House. I read the messages of the public and the many hundreds of candles and I saw the bouquets and flowers of sympathy. This was a national response to a crisis that we all have known about for so long. There were simple messages that called out for Government action, Government change and asked when the Government will respond. They stated, "I have cried too much" and "Stop". Moving tributes and candles were laid on the footpath leading to our Parliament. We were all deeply moved. I met other politicians heading home some evenings who were out there looking at them.

The appalling and tragic death of Ashling Murphy has produced a groundswell of support to bring about change. I am confident that the Minister will lead that change. I have no doubt that. I have observed her, I have followed her and I have heard commentary about her. However, I have made a decision and a call that I think that she is best placed and she is absolutely committed as a woman, a citizen and the country's Minister for Justice in the right place at the right time to lead that change and to respond to the call.

We must listen to the victims of gender-based violence. The Minister said that earlier. I picked up on the line: "We must listen to the victims of gender-based violence." Gender-based violence is deeply rooted, as we all know, in gender inequality and continues to be one of the most notable human rights violations within all societies. Gender-based violence is violence against a person because of their gender. Both women and men experience gender-based violence, which comes in many forms. While people have rightly articulated this about women, I know many men and boys who have experienced gender-based violence, hate speech, crime and abuse, not only out in society but in their family homes and in State institutions. We must recognise that in this debate. Abuse comes in many forms, including physical, sexual and mental. It includes threats of such acts as coercive control and deprivation of liberty. I want to take this particular moment to single out Deputy Carroll MacNeill from my constituency of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and the Minister's party colleague, who has done a lot of work on coercive control. It is important that she has led on that. It is important that politicians lead on it.

I want to share a simple matter that was in my local paper, The Southside People, on 21 January 2022. It states:

Dear Editor,

Ashling Murphy’s death is yet another horrific manifestation of the growing epidemic of violence against women in Ireland, in both the private and the public domain. This young woman was going about her legitimate routine daily business with every reason to expect that she would arrive home safely. There are no circumstances in which the deflection tactics of blame and personal responsibility can be used to justify the continued harbouring of misogyny, violence and femicide in our communities. It is incumbent on all of us to be outraged at the escalating social and cultural assault on women’s safety; the paralysis of communities to be able to respond, and the resistance of political actors to confront and resource the elimination of violence against women.

Yours sincerely,

Mary Mc Dermot,

CEO of Safe Ireland.

I will finish by noting that a report published last year, Travelling in a Woman's Shoes. I urge the Minister to look at this as part of her deliberations. It spoke about horrific experiences but, more importantly, it gave facts and data and challenged us to change in that area. I ask the Minister to give special attention to the documents as part of her deliberations. I have every confidence in the Minister. She is the right person at the right time in the right place to lead a national response to this issue.