Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As ever, I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, to the House. On behalf of Sinn Féin I welcome today's Bill. I acknowledge the work of Jason and the Poole family, who have worked tirelessly to ensure that Jennifer's voice is heard in this Bill. As other speakers have referenced, the Bill is a reclaiming of Jennifer's legacy, one that will provide protection for all women in Ireland.

Women and wider society require a justice system that has the resources and funding in place to deliver fair and swift justice. That means moving beyond the long delays and waiting times that we see in the District Court for family law and domestic violence cases. In the round, these matters should be viewed alongside this Bill as part of tackling this issue. We also know there is a postcode lottery in place where the waiting times vary widely across the State. I urge the Minister to look at these issues in the round, to provide the justice system with the resources it needs to address coercive control so that this Bill, which is vital, alongside the resources I mentioned, will succeed.

I commend Senator O'Loughlin and her team. I give a heartfelt welcome to Jason Poole. I know everyone in this House agrees that there is a lack of sufficient refuge spaces. We all know that several counties are still without any refuge at all. We should take every opportunity to remind ourselves of that fact. Unfortunately, the shortage of such spaces disproportionately impacts victims of coercive control who have been isolated from friends and family with whom they would ordinarily seek refuge.

Sinn Féin welcomes the Bill. I commend the team who put it together with Senator O'Loughlin. It is a very good Bill to which we give our full support. I commend the proposals in the Bill.