Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein)

I thank the Minister of State for attending. We have mentioned that words matter. We would like to support Senator Flynn and the Civil Engagement Group on the Bill. It is timely and very much needed. This is more about semantics and the truth. It is calling out these crimes for exactly what they are. It is centring the experience around the victim and not framing it for the perpetrator. The Bill is about protecting children. It is about reframing the public understanding of abuse, reinforcing that these crimes are not about desire or sex, but about power, violence and exploitation. While changing the law will not undo the harm to the children who have suffered exploitation, it will help us to build a legal and cultural landscape where these crimes are named clearly, prosecuted fully and never minimised through euphemism. I commend Senator Flynn and the Civil Engagement Group for tabling the Bill and I urge that the Bill be passed through the House.