Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)

I commend Senator Ryan on her bravery and honesty. It is very difficult to speak about personal issues in the Chamber. It takes incredible strength so well done and thank you. It is important that people do because it adds so much colour and weight to what we are talking about. So often we talk about these things in legalese terms and it loses the meaning in many ways. As Senator Ryan stated, intergenerational trauma is real. People can find themselves in recurring patterns of abusive relationships when they have witnessed abuse as children. That is a common trend and a normal thing to happen. This is particularly the case if people do not have access to proper therapy. We know we have challenges in Ireland when it comes to people being able to access mental health supports. This amendment is so important because it takes the family as a whole unit and in its broadest sense. When a child witnesses domestic violence, that is a form of child abuse. That is why this amendment should be accepted.