Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senators for their contributions to what has been an excellent debate. If we thought we were where we needed to be as a society, we would not have produced a strategy that calls for a zero-tolerance approach. It is a recognition that we have a hell of a lot of work to do together. I use the word "together" intentionally. There is a role for my Department from the criminal justice point of view, which I will talk about presently, but there is also a role for every individual, which is a point that came up time and again in Members' contributions. There is a role for the Houses of the Oireachtas to consider how we can ensure that the people who commit these offences really do pay for doing so. Issues around sentencing need to be considered by both Houses.I am very much in favour of penal reform. I believe in it passionately as an education Minister. I also believe that if we are serious about zero tolerance in respect of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, there has to be an appropriate sanction that involves the prison system. These Houses, and I as Minister for Justice, need to reflect on that. We have some legislative proposals in this area and may need more in the weeks and months ahead.

I am conscious of the people who are watching this debate, which is something of which we are not always aware. Many people will have watched these debates. I ask people watching who are in dangerous situations not to feel they need to wait to reach out for help, notwithstanding what they have heard us say about how much more we need to do. If people are in immediate danger, they must call 999 or 112. There is a lot of help available. I urge them to go to the website of the Still Here campaign, stillhere.ie, where many resources are available. Do not wait. That is a message all of us would echo.

I recently met a victim and survivor of sexual abuse. She was an incredible young woman who went through the most horrific situation of sexual abuse by her father, who was recently sentenced by the courts. She came to see me and we had an interesting and informative conversation which helped me to form my own views. She said one thing to me that has stuck with me and that I want to share with the Seanad. She said she thought what was happening to her was normal. It was her normal. She said that because she wanted to impress upon me, and I want to impress upon the Senators here, the importance of making sure that no child sitting in a school today can think those things are normal if they happen. If that young woman had known that, there could have been an intervention at a much earlier stage. I do not want to get into social media wars about what is taught in schools and what is not. I am talking about keeping our kids safe. I am talking about making sure that children in schools know what is appropriate and what is not. I am talking about children knowing in an age-appropriate way about the importance of consent. We can pass all the laws we want and should, but I believe that is key. I thank that young woman because she has brought clarity to my own thinking about these matters.

Last year saw the publication of the strategy and I pay tribute to my friend and colleague the Minister, Deputy McEntee, for her leadership. It was called an ambitious strategy by almost everybody. It was co-designed so it is not a Government strategy. It was written by people who know what needs to go into this area and what we need to get to people on the front line. This year and the years to come must be about implementing the strategy. That is what I am hearing from Senators.

A lot has happened, and I gave Senators an overview of some of that, including the Garda training. Every Garda division now has a divisional protective service. There is a specialist unit in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Extra funding is available for groups working on the front line and for training professionals in the criminal justice space. However, we still need to do an awful lot more. Between now and the summer recess, we have a chance to pass a number of pieces of legislation. We need to work on this agency to get it up and running on 1 January 2024. We need to co-design it with those working on the front line with victims and survivors. We need to have for the first time a dedicated agency with a mandate for zero tolerance of these issues. We need to double the sentencing parameters for assault causing harm. We need to pass the legislation to make stalking and strangulation separate criminal offences. We need to increase the monitoring of sexual offenders, including giving our courts the power of electronic tagging. We also need to overhaul sexual offences legislation, including around the issue of supporting the victim's journey. I was struck by Senator Hoey's contribution in that regard. We need anonymity in court and representation for victims. A whole range of areas need attention. We need to examine the definition of consent. We need to do a big piece of work and I look forward to hearing the expert views of Senators in that regard.

There is also a lot to do in respect of refuge spaces. Let me be clear when I say we are doing more but we are not where we need to be. We need to do a lot more and even when we have done what the strategy requires, we will still need to do more. That is true.

Senator Boyhan was right when he said that the notion of safe homes requires attention. That is what people on the front line tell me. We will see a significant increase in safe homes again this year. We also need to challenge ourselves and ask why women and children must always leave their homes, often in the middle of the night. I am not suggesting this is easy but it is part of the strategy. We need to look this year at the constitutional and legislative issues around why the perpetrator, alleged or otherwise, cannot leave the home. We need to tackle that issue and I intend to focus on that.

There are also many issues around public safety, as was raised by my colleague Senator Ward and others. We need more gardaí on the street to ensure everybody feels safe but, in particular, women feel safe. I was again struck by Senator Hoey's contribution when she spoke about a woman walking the longer way home because she feels it is safer. We need more gardaí on the street. We will get 1,000 prospective gardaí into the Garda College in Templemore this year. Many Senators have also recognised that it is not only more gardaí we require. There are issues in respect of street-lighting and other things that make people feel safe. We have new community safety partnerships. We will move beyond the joint policing committee model and bring all stakeholders in communities around the table to ask what we need to do in our areas to make people safe.

Senator Keogan raised a number of points about the whole issue of pornography and online content-based platforms. These are serious issues. I launched a report from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre a number of years ago which talked about where children and young people are getting their information about sex and how their notions are distorted versions of reality. That is important. She also raised the issue of forced marriages. I will reflect on the female genital mutilation, FGM, action plan. I am trying to get through as many of the issues that were raised as possible.

Senator Gallagher spoke about refuge centres in Monaghan and Cavan. He praised Ms Siobhán McKenna in Monaghan County Council and the role she has played. I will follow up on those points.

A number of Senators spoke about the role of men. I am conscious that I am a man and the Minister for Justice. Senators O'Loughlin and Pauline O'Reilly summarised the situation best when they said this is not a women's issue. Violence against women is a societal problem and an issue that requires all of us to stand up. It is not an issue for one gender or an issue that allows men to recuse themselves from the debate. Men are often the perpetrators and we have to pony up and provide leadership.

A number of Senators talked about the role of the education system. I fully agree. My colleague the Minister, Deputy Foley, is undertaking work in this area. There are plans to overhaul the social, personal and health education system for the junior certificate from next September. There are also plans to do further work on the curriculum for other ages within the school system.

I praise the Barnahus model. Senator O'Reilly mentioned the excellent work it allows for in dealing with children in these situations.

The Family Courts Bill will make a difference in respect of domestic violence leave.

I have received and am considering the report on familicide. I am considering the report with the Garda. I will revert to the Seanad on that matter.

Senator Hoey asked about the Istanbul Convention. Representatives of GREVIO are here at the moment, conducting a full review of Ireland in respect of those matters. Our actions will be informed by that review.

Senator Clonan raised a specific issue that I do not in any way want to overlook. He said the report is with the Cabinet. Without being pedantic, I believe the report is with the Minister and will be brought to the Cabinet. That is my understanding. I am not privy to what is in the report. I assure the Senator that the Government will treat it with the utmost seriousness in the first instance. When we talk about zero tolerance in respect of sexual, domestic and gender-based violence, we need to start with our own institutions by making sure there is a zero-tolerance approach in every institution in the State to such violence.