Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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22. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to complete the progression of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42419/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Since my appointment as Minister, I have made the enactment of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2017, which I know will be known as Coco's Law, by the end of the year a top priority.

I know from recent correspondence received from the Deputy that she fully agrees that legislation in this area needs to be enacted as quickly as possible. I am very grateful that my request for extra Dáil and Seanad time to be made available to allow the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill to complete its passage before the end of the year, could be facilitated.

As the Deputy is probably aware, at Committee stage last week I brought forward a range of amendments to the Bill as presented by Deputy Howlin, including to provide for two new offences to deal with the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, which have been accepted. These 2 new offences will make it a crime to distribute intimate images of a person without consent, regardless of the motivation for doing so.

Consenting to the taking of an image will be irrelevant, if it is subsequently published or distributed without consent. The penalties being proposed are serious to reflect the level of harm caused to the victims of such offences

It will be an aggravating factor for the purposes of sentencing if the perpetrator is, or was, in an intimate relationship with the victim. This will allow a judge to consider the additional harm a victim suffers as a result of the betrayal of trust that would have formed part of their relationship with the perpetrator.

My Government colleagues and I are committed to tackling abusive behaviour in all forms. Harassment and abuse is utterly unacceptable, whether online or offline, and it has no place in Irish society.

I would like to acknowledge the cooperation of Deputy Brendan Howlin in advancing the proposed amendments. I very much welcome the widespread support expressed for enacting this legislation, including by the Deputy, and I look forward to this Bill being enacted before the year end.