Jim O'Callaghan
Dublin Bay South · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“This relates to section 69 of the Bill as passed by Dáil Éireann, which amends Schedule 5 to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 to add the Courts Service to the Schedule.”
“The first four amendments in this group are minor drafting corrections. They corrected the wording in four places so that the Bill reads consistently. It is changing the word "references" to "a reference". They make no change to the substance or effect of the Bill.”
“The ARP scheme was introduced in July 2022 to recognise the generosity of members of the public who opened their houses, whether in their entirety or through the provision of a room, at their own expense to provide shelter to people displaced by the Ukraine war. The Department of Social Protection administers the scheme on my behalf.”
“I have no doubt it will be challenged, and I have to be able to convince a court, if it is being challenged, that this legislation weighs up conflicting interests and recognises there is a mechanism for somebody who has reformed himself to get off the register.”
“The scheme has been a lifeline for people from Ukraine displaced by the conflict, given high rental market rates and scarcity of rental accommodation.”
“I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle in the first instance for presiding over these Stages of the legislation. I am very pleased that this legislation has been enacted. I want to thank a few people very briefly. I thank Deputy McAuliffe for introducing me to Jason Poole. I thank Senator O'Loughlin for her work on this issue in the Seanad.”
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“I commend these proposals to the House to consider the exercise of Ireland’s right to opt in under Article 3 of Protocol 21 and seek the approval of the House for the motions for both the signing and conclusion of the agreements concerned.”
“When we opted in last year to the negotiation of the agreements before us today, we also opted in to negotiate a PNR agreement with Switzerland. I am advised that proposals on the signing and conclusion of this agreement with Switzerland are expected to be published by the European Commission in the coming weeks. Therefore, I would expect to be back before the Houses after the summer recess with similar motions on exercising an Article 3 opt-in in respect of the European Commission agreement with Switzerland. In operational and policy terms, it is considered desirable that Ireland exercises an Article 3 opt-in to these proposals so that Ireland can participate in the agreed exchange of PNR data with Iceland and Norway when the agreements have been concluded.”
“The Irish passenger information unit within my Department is the body responsible for processing PNR data in Ireland. It is not foreseen that additional cost implications will arise from Ireland’s participation in these agreements, save from the potential addition of new flight routes or air carriers. The Irish passenger information unit is funded through the Vote of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. No legal or practical impediment has been identified precluding Ireland from opting into these proposals. No legal or practical impediment has been identified precluding Ireland from opting in to these proposals. We have already opted in to similar EU PNR agreements with Canada, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.”
“The collection and analysis of PNR data is a widely used law enforcement tool in the EU and in other countries for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of terrorist offences and serious crime. PNR data is the booking information provided by passengers and collected by air carriers for their own commercial purposes, such as names, dates of travel or travel itineraries. The collection and analysis of PNR data can provide the authorities with important elements allowing them to detect suspicious travel patterns and identify associates of criminals and terrorists, particularly those previously unknown to law enforcement authorities. The use of PNR data is governed by the PNR directive, which was transposed into national law via the European Union (Passenger Name Record) Regulations 2018.”
“The agreements have two main aims and components, one relating to the necessity of ensuring public security by means of exchanging PNR data with Norway and with Iceland, and the other relating to the protection of privacy and other fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals. The proposed Council decisions have a Title V legal basis in the area of police co-operation. Their publication by the Commission on 12 June 2025 started a three-month window for Ireland to exercise an opt-in under Article 3 of Protocol 21, which is annexed to the Lisbon treaty. However, this window has effectively been shortened by the timing of the proposals' publication and the imminent summer recess of the Houses.”
“Like the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I had the opportunity to listen to the very interesting and passionate debate on Pride that took place over the past number of hours. Regrettably, the topic we are now proceeding to is neither interesting nor passionate. It is a fairly mundane series of motions that are seeking and Article 3 opt-in under Protocol 21, which deals with justice and home affairs matters, in order to enable Ireland to become part of the signing and conclusion of agreements between the European Union and Norway, and the European Union and Iceland on the transfer of passenger name record, better known as the acronym, PNR. It relates to information that is provided when individuals arrive in ports, so an identity can be kept on whom those persons are. Ireland opted into the negotiation of these agreements in February 2024.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the exercise by the State of the option or discretion under Protocol No. 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to take part in the adoption and application of the following proposed measure: Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway on the transfer of Passenger Name Record (PNR) data to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute terrorist offences and serious crime, a copy of which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 30th June, 2025.”
“There will be an attestation on 22 August. I will certainly communicate what the Deputy has said to me here but I cannot guarantee him. I am not going to be a Minister for justice who directs the Commissioner to send gardaí to certain areas.”
“I thank the Deputy. Two months ago, I was down in Limerick and I had the opportunity to meet An Garda Síochána there and, indeed, representatives of Limerick Chamber of Commerce. I am aware of the issue in terms of the desire to get more gardaí on the streets in Limerick. I hear the same thing throughout the country. When it comes to the allocation of resources, however, I do not direct the Commissioner as to where he should send new recruits.”
“It is the case, notwithstanding her views, that the advice I have received is that to prohibit access to counselling notes for an accused in a trial across the board would be unconstitutional. I also listened to Deputy Catherine Connolly and what she said about the legislation. Deputy Daly, having been a GP in Roscommon for three decades, has good insight. I have worked closely with Deputy McAuliffe on the case of Mr. Jason Poole. Deputy Ó Murchú talked about online characters. I would say to him that they are not representative. I do not recognise the complete negativity on violence from Deputy Tóibín. Ireland is generally a non-violent society.”
“My only advice to Janet would be that if she has been offered accommodation within the Dublin City Council area, she should not refuse it simply because a person who was convicted of abusing her lives in Dublin city. Perhaps she was going to be placed close to him, which would be different. I listened to Deputy O'Gorman and will certainly take into account the Domestic Violence (Amendment) Bill. It seems to be a straightforward piece of legislation that will no longer treat the breach of a court order as just a summary offence but also as an indictable offence. I would have thought, however, that most of those offences would be prosecuted on indictment. Deputy Coppinger talked about the issue of counselling notes.”
“Female Members of the House may disagree with me but certainly the society we live in now is a much more equal society from women's point of view than it was historically. I listened to Deputy Moynihan when he talked about how things had changed since Covid-19. He is right. Covid-19 had a significant impact on many aspects of not just Irish life, but life internationally. One of them was that people being locked up in houses together had the impact of increasing the level of domestic violence. I heard what Deputy Butterly had to say in respect of Louth and the investment in Cuan. That will continue. I listened to Deputy O'Reilly's account of Janet.”
“That responsibility rests on all of us, particularly the male Members of this House. I noted what Deputy Hearne said about homelessness and the housing issue having an impact on women who were in accommodation. It is hard for me to dispute that because it is certainly the case that, if somebody goes into a refuge and cannot go back to the home, the only option available is to try to get a safe home. Local authorities are providing safe homes, albeit on a temporary basis. As our population increases, it is becoming a significant problem. I listened to Deputy Gibney, who said we lived in a patriarchal society. That was certainly historically the case in Ireland. I do not think it is the case now.”
“Let us remember that Jennifer Poole's killer is serving a life sentence in prison, the garda was convicted of the offence and George Gibney is in the process of being extradited. The family law system is a system that results in dissatisfaction partly because the court system is based on an adversarial system where there is a winner and a loser. In family law disputes, that generally does not succeed that well. We need to start looking for more mediated solutions to family law disputes as opposed to the adversarial response of one side wins and the other side loses. I noted what the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach said in terms of children who were living in a house where there was domestic violence and how men needed to be educated that violence was unacceptable.”
“It is obviously a constant battle but we are in a stronger position now than we were ten or 20 years ago in terms of society's response to it and how it is so unacceptable. I heard Deputy Cronin speak about Senator Ryan's account of domestic violence. I want to emphasise something that Senator Ryan said and that I believe the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, Deputy Cummins, mentioned also. Domestic violence in a house can have a devastating impact on a young child growing up. It makes the child frightened to see his or her parents engaged in violence in the house and it perpetuates that in the child's psychology in the future so that it becomes normalised. Deputy Gannon spoke about the three cases of Jennifer Poole, the former garda who was convicted and George Gibney.”
“Deputy Séamus McGrath was correct when he said a significant amount of abuse was not recorded. As policymakers, we all need to try to encourage women to know that there is support for them if they come forward and if they report what is criminal behaviour. Deputy McGreehan talked about how she stood in solidarity with victims. She also noted that women sometimes were groped on public transport. That is a criminal offence. It should be reported. I am pleased to say that, recently, a man was convicted of a grievous sexual assault on a woman while she was travelling on the Luas. Deputy Cronin spoke about how in society were not protecting women. I believe that the changes in the law and the greater emphasis we are placing on domestic violence is having a good impact in terms of protecting women.”
“There are consequences if we are going to say that persons convicted of criminal offences lose their rights to a tenancy. We need to be careful and cautious of that. Although it sounds correct in terms of trying to get an abuser out of the house as opposed to the woman looking for a refuge space, we have to be careful about removing tenancy rights from persons who are convicted of offences. Deputy Ciarán Ahern referred to George Gibney. I am not going to talk too much about that, as there are charges pending here in response to an extradition request that has been raised in America. I note he will be returned here to face those charges. I listened very carefully to the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, who emphasised the need for units in County Carlow. I will pursue that further.”
“It is a complex area that they need to be trained on, but they are being trained. Deputy Ward referred to the fact that when he was here previously, he said men should call out other men. He is correct in that. They should not worry about the response on social media. Social media exerts far too much influence on young people and we should not respond to it, as it is not representative. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue spoke about the removal of names from joint tenancies. That is an issue where a male partner has been convicted of assault or violence against a female partner. As any Member of this House who has been a member of a local authority will know, it is extremely difficult to get somebody's name removed from the tenancy if that person is a tenant of a local authority.”
“Deputy Bennett similarly referred to the absence of refuge centres in Cavan and Monaghan. This issue has been repeatedly raised with me by my colleagues, Niamh Smyth and Brendan Smith. I am aware of it. However, as has been recognised by other Deputies, including Deputy Mitchell, it cannot just become - I am not suggesting colleagues are indicating this - a county issue about needing a refuge centre in each county, as in, some counties have them and I want one in my county. We need general refuge spaces throughout the country. We need to ensure they are well dispersed. I note what Deputy Mitchell said in respect of the domestic violence register and the training of gardaí. I want to clarify and assure Members that gardaí are trained when in Templemore in respect of domestic violence.”
“I thank the Deputy for bringing it to my attention. I am not sure whether legislation and criminalisation are the response to that. It certainly is the case, however, that girls and women need to be informed about the fact that things that are being suggested to them that boys and men are extracting from online activity are not normal. We need to get that message out there. Deputy Carthy referred to the refuge spaces in his constituency and the civil legal aid scheme that needed to be supported in order to ensure that women could have the expertise to facilitate them in getting barring orders. As I said before, it is my intention to improve the civil legal aid scheme and I hope to be able to publish the reports I have received in respect of it recently. I will also look again at the Deputy's victims of sexual violence Bill.”
“I dtús báire, gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí Dála as páirt a ghlacadh sa díospóireacht. I thank all the Members for their interesting and informed contributions to the debate. I also want to welcome to the Public Gallery any people who are victims of the criminal activity that we have been discussing here today and the people who are supportive of them. I also want to put on the record my acknowledgement of the work done by David French in respect of the Guardianship of Infants (Amendment) Bill. It is going to be difficult to respond in detail to all colleagues, but I am going to try to give some response to them. Deputy Devine referred to strangulation sex and strangulation pornography. I would be very concerned if people's sexual behaviour has been moulded by weird pornography that is proliferating.”
“My own assessment and the advice | have received from within An Garda Síochána and, indeed, from people who are victims of domestic violence is that, once the victim gets engaged with the experts within the force, they have a very positive outcome. The Minister of State, Deputy Collins wants to speak on this matter so I will conclude welcoming the fact that we are having this debate. I thank Members before they make their contributions. There is a general consensus in the House that there is a problem and how it should be responded to. I have no doubt there will be criticism about the number of refuge spaces or the counties they are in. That is a legitimate criticism. We are working on that and it is my responsibility. However, we also need to recognise that this is a much broader problem than just finding safe houses and refuges.”
“I also want to note the Women’s Aid "ally action list" reminds us that every man can teach respect, call out wrongdoing and take action online and offline. If men in our schools, workplaces, sports clubs and homes step up, we can collectively dismantle the environment that allows abuse to continue. I also want to recognise the excellent work of An Garda Síochána. There was some concern in respect of the Women’s Aid report, which found that 44% of women were dissatisfied with their initial contact with An Garda Síochána. Notwithstanding the fact that the majority were satisfied, that does indicate there is an issue in ensuring gardaí are suitably and adequately qualified.”
“It is establishing the game-changer campaign, which uses sports-based advocacy to engage men and boys across communities, challenging harmful norms about the role women should play. This is a three-year initiative led by Ruhama, in partnership with the GAA and the Men’s Development Network that brings the zero tolerance message into clubs and communities in every part of life. There is a really powerful basis for doing that when a great sports organisation like the GAA is behind it. We also need to recognise, as men speaking on this topic that we also have a responsibility in what we say to younger men and boys to try to ensure they recognise and appreciate that it is unacceptable to use violence within a relationship.”
“That is why it is so important that this is not simply viewed as a Department of justice issue but that there is also recognition that there it goes all across the Government, particularly the Department of education. The Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy McEntee, is continuing the very good work that the Minister, Deputy Foley, started last year on this and is continuing with that. I want to acknowledge the excellent work of the GAA. Sometimes, as I have said previously, people view this as a woman’s issue or an issue we discuss in certain debates; it is not. It is a societal issue. If we want to break it down on gender lines, it is probably more of a man’s issue than a women’s issue since men are predominantly, if not exclusively, responsible for violence against women. The GAA has recognised its responsibility.”
“We in this House are very aware of the level of information out there and access to depraved material that young people can get online. We need to ensure that we educate young people and try to warn them that the depictions they see of relationships online is not normal and is not acceptable. Unfortunately, a tendency has developed in certain aspects of online material to present women in a very submissive, malleable way and that they are simply there to do what men tell them. We all know that is not only an anachronistic but a deeply offensive representation of women. We need to tell and warn young people about that. That is why we have to have a greater awareness raising.”
“Sometimes in this House we focus very much on legislative solutions to problems such as violence against women. That is understandable since our primary function is making legislation. However, there is more to resolving this issue than simply drafting laws. We have to recognise that this is a societal issue and as a result, we need to try to ensure there is prevention as well as investigation and prosecution after it occurs. There has been a significant emphasis on education in the strategy. In 2024, the then Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, introduced a new curriculum for senior cycle on social personal and health education. This tells young people about respectful relationships should be built. It empowers them to recognise and respond to instances of abuse or violence in relationships.”
“There are mechanisms in place, such as barring orders and safety orders, that are available to women who find themselves in the appalling situation of being subjected to domestic abuse. I also plan to progress legislative amendments to allow for the Garda to share information with schools as a measure to support children and young people who experience domestic violence in the home. We need to progress Operation Compass not only in this jurisdiction but also in the North. I have had an opportunity on numerous occasions to discuss with the justice minister in Northern Ireland, Naomi Long, the issues of violence against women. We can provide each other with information, data and policing support to ensure that throughout the island of Ireland there is a consistent response to the scourge of this violence. Criminal justice is very important.”
“The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Act 2024 ensures anonymity for victims in all trials for sexual offences, extends the victim’s right to separate legal representation if they are being questioned about their previous sexual history and ensures character evidence at a sentencing hearing for a person convicted of a sexual offence must be made on oath or via affidavit rather than simply through a letter being sent in via a solicitor. This legislative reform is continuing. I have touched on the progress we are making to expand refuge accommodation but my Department is also examining proposals to develop a policy on removal orders to take offenders out of the home in high-risk domestic violence and domestic abuse cases, subject to legal considerations.”
“The Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023 increased the maximum penalty for assault causing harm from five to ten years, introduced a new stand-alone offence for non-fatal strangulation and stalking and providing for the making of civil orders restraining stalking conduct and strengthened the law around harassment and ensuring the protection of the identity of alleged victims of harassment and stalking in court proceedings.”
“There has been significant legislative reform, including the enactment of the Family Courts Act 2024. That Act establishes a dedicated family court system, and it will ensure timelier, trauma-informed access to justice. I can stand here and confidently say that the law to combat all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence has been strengthened significantly in recent years. There is also the Sex Offenders (Amendment) Act 2023, which provides for stronger supervision of sex offenders after they are released. The legislation includes measures strengthening the management and monitoring of sex offenders in the community, including amendments to the sex offenders register notification requirements and a ban on sex offenders working with children or vulnerable people.”
“It is important that both I and the Minister of State, as Ministers in the Department, get out and actually see what these refuge centres are like on the ground and provide encouragement to ensure that more of them are created. There are currently 53 safe home units in place as well, which will be increased by a further 45 planned new safe home units by the end of 2026. In addition to the 141 refuge units at the start of the strategy, 52 new refuge units are planned to be delivered by the end of 2026, and there is a pathway for an additional 50 refuge units to be under construction by that point. As we enter the final phase of the implementation of the zero-tolerance strategy, it is right to reflect on the substantial progress made since its publication.”
“Cuan has been working in partnership with local front-line service providers, local authorities, the Department of housing and other entities, such as housing agencies, to co-ordinate local actions and support local services with delivery. By the end of last year, almost all priority areas had identified a site, and one new refuge in Wexford had opened and another had started construction. I am pleased that I have had the privilege of visiting a number of refuge centres since becoming Minister. Earlier this week, I was in Kildare where I visited a refuge centre. I visited a refuge centre in Kilkenny the week before that, one in Limerick with the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, who is beside me, and one in Drogheda.”
“It is my hope to bring forward these proposals to Cabinet in the autumn. The Government is also determined to break down barriers that have historically silenced victims. Transparency, data collection and evaluation will drive continuous improvement. Again, I want to mention Cuan, the statutory agency responsible for combating domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. It plays a critical role in co-ordinating this multiagency response, ensuring joined-up survivor-centred care and regular reporting on progress and challenges. In respect of the refuge spaces, a capital programme to deliver domestic violence refuge accommodation is happening at present, and it is a very significant and unprecedented allocation of funding.”
“However, it appears to be the case that this is done on a very arbitrary basis, and it can be the case that individuals are convicted of serious offences, but people do not get to hear about them because of the fact that there was no journalist in court at the time. In such circumstances, the court shall have regard to any subsequent convictions of the applicant and-or any actions of rehabilitation undertaken by the applicant when considering such an application. The court shall also have regard to the position and views of the victim with regard to such an application. Under this proposal, the court will have discretion to determine whether to publish details of the judgment pursuant to a written judgement, and the court will take into account the nature and severity of the case and other relevant factors.”
“I am also conscious of the fact that rehabilitation is an important aspect of our justice system and under these proposals, a convicted person will have the ability to make an application to court to apply to have the judgment removed after three years. I do not see anything controversial or incompatible with the rights of the individual in this proposal. It is unquestionably the case that if people are convicted of serious criminal convictions, that can be publicised. Most nights of the week on the news and in our newspapers, we read about individuals who are convicted of serious offences.”
“This, it is hoped, will act not only to provide information to intimate partners of those individuals who could pose a risk to their partner's safety, as was the case with the shocking and tragic death of Jennifer Poole, but it should also act as a deterrent to individuals from carrying out such crimes in the future. We also need to reflect when we are discussing this issue upon the fact that justice in Ireland is required to be administered in public. If a person is convicted of a serious criminal offence in Ireland before the courts, that is a public conviction, and the public are entitled to know about that conviction.”
“Jason Poole, brother of Jennifer Poole, who has been instrumental in really exhorting and encouraging politicians to proceed with this proposal, which will hopefully be known as Jenny's Law. This proposal will allow for any person who was convicted on indictment of specified offences, including murder, manslaughter or serious assault against an intimate partner or former intimate partner, to be named in a court judgment outlining the sentence imposed. That judgment will be published under a domestic violence register of judgments on the Courts Service website. The sentencing court will retain discretion as to whether such a judgment should be published, which will act as an important safeguard for the victim as the consent of the victim will also be required before such information will be published and available to the public at large.”
“That is a provision I have managed to put into the civil law and criminal law (miscellaneous provisions) Bill's general scheme. I hope to introduce that Bill, including the provision in respect of counselling notes, in the Houses of the Oireachtas later this year. I also received permission from the Government to put into that legislation proposals to prohibit sex for rent. That is something I also want introduced, and hopefully enacted, by the end of this year. I am also happy to inform the House that following extensive engagement with officials in my Department and my colleagues, Deputy McAuliffe and Senator O'Loughlin, and, indeed, the Attorney General's office, I will soon bring forward proposals to create a domestic violence register. I commend Mr.”
“In April, I brought proposals to Cabinet to allow for the removal of guardianship rights of a person who has been convicted of killing their intimate partner under the proposed guardianship of infants (amendment) Bill 2025. That is a piece of work Deputy Carthy is doing at present, as Chairman of the Joint Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, in completing pre-legislative scrutiny in respect of that important legislation. I commend all the individuals in the public realm, particularly Mr. French who has advanced this issue, to ensure it is recognised in certain instances. This is a child protection issue. In May, I received approval from Cabinet to pursue proposals to limit the disclosure of counselling records in rape and sexual assault cases.”
“We should recognise that there are provisions in place through barring orders to ensure that individuals who are perpetrating violence against women in the home are the ones who should leave the home. Notwithstanding that, there is always going to be a requirement for additional refuge spaces. Funding has been secured for 80 additional refuge spaces, with a commitment to provide 280 spaces by 2026. We will see for the first time in Ireland a network of safe accommodation, as required under the Istanbul Convention, which will include both refuges and safe houses. I also want to point out that since I became Minister for justice, I have sought to advance and expedite a series of legislative proposals that are necessary and that will make it easier for victims of domestic and gender-based violence.”
“Since 2020, funding for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services has tripled. I recently launched the third national zero-tolerance strategy, which is an ambitious national strategy to combat violence against women. There is also the issue of refuge spaces. I am very conscious that is correctly raised frequently in this House. However, we also need to recognise that the solution to violence against women cannot become just trying to identify an appropriate number of refuge spaces around the country. As has been said previously n this House, in many instances, we have to question why the woman who is the victim of domestic violence is the person in the couple who moves out of the home.”
“The proposals go all across government. They apply not just to my Department but to other Departments, including the Department of education. I recognise the excellent work done by my predecessor as Minister, Deputy McEntee. She was instrumental in the establishment of Cuan and raising this issue as the prominent political issue it deserves to be treated as. Since I took up office as Minister for justice, I have sought to keep focus on it. It is one of my priorities that we have a situation in Ireland where there is growing awareness of the unacceptability of violence against women and girls. I am conscious as well that we put a significant amount into this but, of course, money on its own is not sufficient. There are unprecedented resources, with €70 million being provided in budget 2025 to tackle domestic violence.”
“People who are victims and women who speak out provide a stronger voice to other women who may be suffering silently and who may feel that they do not have the power to come forward to make a complaint to An Garda Síochána or even just to report it to agencies such as Women's Aid. I am today reaffirming the Government's unwavering commitment to what I refer to as a "zero-tolerance approach" to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. We need to ensure, however, that the approach operates across our society. It is not just an issue to be discussed by the Minister for justice when launching a Women's Aid report. It must involve a whole-of-government response to combatting this issue. Recently, through the statutory body Cuan, my Department put out a strategy and implementation plan for how this needs to be approached and confronted.”
“We can sometimes get caught up in statistics. We must recall that each of those women who phoned Women's Aid had a personal tragedy and trauma behind the phone call. We need to remain alive to the fact that there are real issues about women in our society. For too long, they have suffered in silence. It is imperative that we make them aware that there is support for them from society at large. It is timely that we are having this discussion. There is a greater political and public focus on the issue of domestic and gender-based violence than was previously the case. Part of the reason for that, and part of the credit for that, rests with the many victims of this violence who have been prepared to speak publicly.”
“The figures in Ireland are unacceptably high. The figures in Northern Ireland are even higher. I am aware that in other countries around the world, violence against women is an issue that needs to be confronted internationally and nationally. As I mentioned previously in the House, I had the privilege of launching the Women's Aid report approximately ten days ago. As people will be aware, the detail contained in that report is both sobering and frightening. It shows the rise in the numbers of women contacting that agency for the purpose of seeking to get advice, assistance and help arising from their being subjected to violence and criminal assault. The figures in the Women's Aid report published this year show that 32,000 contacts were made in 2024. That represents a 12% increase on the previous year.”
“I welcome the opportunity to address the House on an issue that is of significant importance and has widespread impact throughout our society. It is the issue of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. The purpose of keeping this issue in the public domain and discussing it within the Houses of the Oireachtas is to ensure that we can identify the appropriate measures to combat it. This is an activity and criminal behaviour within our society that we must make further effort to confront and eradicate. It remains one of the most serious challenges facing our society. It is important to point out, however, that ongoing criminal acts of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence are not unique to Ireland. I looked at the statistics in respect of the murder or manslaughter of women in Ireland and Northern Ireland.”
“Anyone who is dissatisfied with the operation of the regulations for which I am seeking approval can lodge a complaint under Article 77 of the GDPR and it will be dealt with in the ordinary course. A statutory mechanism is in place to ensure that anyone who believes his or her data rights have been unfairly appraised and determined can avail of the provisions within the GDPR and the Data Protection Act to ensure they are vindicated.”
“We have good democratic oversight of legislation in this country. I sometimes contrast the position of an Irish Minister with the people who are in power in other countries. We are subject to committee hearings, frequently answer questions in the Dáil and Seanad and expose ourselves to the media in respect of the legislation. We have a thorough process for checking draft legislation before it is enacted. I support that thorough process. That is the way we should do it. The last thing we want is a situation whereby laws can be made relatively easily. The Deputy also asked questions about the process in respect of anyone who wishes to pursue these regulations or make a complaint. When it comes to any data complaint, we have the Data Protection Commission, the Information Commissioner and the courts.”
“I can tell him that at present, they all have policies in place and available. They will obviously need to be updated. I understand and hope they will be published next term or in the autumn. That is my expectation. Deputy Gannon said we should have public oversight, and I agree entirely. That is what we are doing here today. The legislation states that I, as Minister, can make regulations but they will only be approved if the Houses of the Oireachtas approve them. That is a very good provision. I cannot just introduce the regulations, sign them in and have them become law. I need to come back to the Houses for the approval of the elected representatives of the Irish people. That is how we are having public oversight. I agree with the Deputy that we should scrutinise legislation.”