Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has said that violence against women is fundamentally “a men’s problem”, arguing that it cannot be effectively tackled until more men take responsibility and actively work to stop it, reports RTE.
Speaking during Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil, Ms Cairns highlighted several recent violent incidents involving women, reports RTE.
Ms Cairns said the brutality of these attacks has stunned people across the country.
She said women face violence and harassment in every part of Ireland on a daily basis and warned that “some will die because of it”, reports RTE.
The Social Democrats leader said women who support their families, friends and communities are being “routinely and relentlessly terrorised in their own homes”.
“Violence against women is not a woman’s problem, violence against women is a men’s problem, because the common denominator is invariably men”, reports RTE.
She said the issue will remain unresolved until more men help combat it and “call out and report family, friends, colleagues and strangers who belittle, intimidate or insult women”.
She asked Taoiseach Micheál Martin when refuge spaces would be available in every county and whether the Government would stop women’s counselling notes from being used against them in sexual assault proceedings, reports RTE.
In response, Mr Martin said continuing violence against women in Ireland is “depraved and shocking”.
He said the Cuan agency was established by the previous government to respond to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, reports RTE.
He said the Government maintains a zero-tolerance stance on such violence and is supporting groups that assist survivors and those affected.
He said additional refuge spaces and safe accommodation will be delivered at a faster pace, reports RTE.
The Taoiseach added that funding has been allocated to create 282 more safe spaces by the end of 2026.
He said the Minister for Justice is advancing laws to remove guardianship rights from anyone convicted of murdering an intimate partner and to restrict the use of counselling records in rape and sexual assault cases, reports RTE.
He added that offenders in domestic violence cases will also be placed on a dedicated domestic violence register.
Ms Cairns said, however, that the proposals on counselling notes represent a new form of “the status quo”, meaning victims’ private records could still be used in court.
She said the percentage of rape survivors who receive justice is extremely small, and that the legal process is deeply traumatic, reports RTE.
She said it is “despicable” that counselling notes could be used against people in trials and called for a complete ban on their use.
The Taoiseach said the Government is strongly committed to limiting when counselling notes can be accessed, reports RTE.
Earlier, Tánaiste Simon Harris said there is an “epidemic” of violence against women in Ireland.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
