Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. On behalf of the Fianna Fáil group, I welcome this legislation. I commend my friend and colleague, Senator Martin, on bringing forward this worthwhile Bill. The Bill, as Senator Martin outlined, seeks to amend the Domestic Violence Act 2018 to protect victims of coercive control. We look forward to the Minister of State bringing forward further legislative changes to protect a broader group of victims of gender-based violence as they move through the legal system. The unlawful killings of women in Ireland over recent months and years are not just brutal acts of violence that shocked the nation, they also highlighted the fear that exists among women in our society for their personal safety. These brutal deaths enabled women to talk about their fear. More importantly, the deaths of women through acts of violence forced society to listen to that fear. We now need society and the political system to address this fear urgently and comprehensively and to take a good, hard and honest look at how the system responds to and meets the needs of women. The problem extends beyond the harrowing statistics of unlawful killings. Violence against women happens in many forms and the scale, unfortunately, is extensive. Most assaults on women go unreported. Many women are harassed as they go about their daily lives, with most harassment going unchallenged. More live under intimidatory control hidden behind doors, often in silence. Unfortunately, some men in this country believe that women should be controlled by and submissive to them and that violence and coercive control are acceptable ways of achieving those aims. Changing this requires a dramatic change in the views those men have of women and in the way they see acceptable behaviour. We in Fianna Fáil are working with others and external stakeholders on how we can bring about change from all angles and how we can change the culture of misogyny and respect, what improvements are needed across the legal system to support victims and their families and ensure access to justice and what unexplored avenues can better support women in the workplace, community and online.

I am delighted that the Minister of State is not opposed to this Bill on principle and consider that the intention behind the Bill has merit. The aim of this Bill is in line with Government policy, in particular with commitments to protect victims of domestic violence and as set out in the third national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. It also complements the approach of the O'Malley review of protection for vulnerable witnesses in the investigation and prosecution of sexual offences. To implement the recommendations of the O'Malley review, work is under way to bring forward legislation to provide for protection against cross-examination by an accused for vulnerable victims of specified offences, including but not limited to coercive control, as proposed by Senator Martin in this Private Member's Bill

We need a zero-tolerance approach to violence against women. This will require all of us as a society to commit to that change. The Government has put forward a zero-tolerance strategy that would tackle domestic, sexual and gender-based violence through prevention, protection, prosecution and policy co-ordination. This is an essential step in co-ordinating a response to gender-based violence in Ireland. Quite simply, enough is enough when it comes to domestic violence against women. One of the pillars mentioned is protection. I stress that counties Monaghan and Cavan are two of nine counties that do not have refuge centres for people suffering from domestic abuse. That is an issue I would like to see addressed as a matter of urgency. I compliment Monaghan County Council and Nial O'Connor, the housing officer, who has been proactive in this particular area.I want to give a special mention to Tearmann Domestic Violence Services, under the stewardship of Siobhán McKenna. In many cases, they are the people who are the first point of contact when a woman is brave enough to come forward to tell her story. I am well aware of the excellent work that they have done, continue to do and no doubt will continue to do going forward. I would like to commend them as well. On the last day we were in the Chamber having a debate, mention was made of reports being made to the Garda that were not followed up on. That is very concerning. I would like to send out a strong message today that nobody should suffer in silence. I would encourage anybody who is going through that horror to come forward and report the matter to the Garda. I feel confident that their concerns would be addressed. If that was not the case, it is something I would be very worried about. We talk about refuge centres and the need for same. Perhaps we need to have a conversation and ask why it is that the woman is always the first person to leave the family home. Perhaps that is something we should look at as well. I commend my colleague, Senator Martin, on bringing forward this legislation, and I look forward to it becoming law.