Maria McCormack
Labour Panel · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“I thank the Minister for coming in. I note that the aim of this Bill is to take the current eligibility criteria for social housing and put them on a statutory footing, and to create a new appeals mechanism for those refused access to social housing.”
“While Sinn Féin wants flexibility in the planning rules to allow families to provide freestanding extensions in back gardens for family members, we do not support allowing these structures to be rented out, nor do we support denying people tenancy rights and protections when they are renting them out.”
“Given the complex legal issues involved in appeals such as legal residency, habitual residency and social housing support, it would have been better to have a single, independent appeals office located in the Housing Agency similar to how social welfare appeals operate.”
“I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. This Bill comprises a long, technical and complex series of amendments to the Planning and Development Act 2024. It is unfortunate that it is being rushed through the Houses at breakneck speed and without proper scrutiny.”
“The Minister can talk about viability all he wants but, really, all he is doing is making these developments more profitable while reducing living standards. It will not help to increase supply or bring down prices.”
“Many people living in Graiguecullen are asking the simple question, "What problem is this scheme actually trying to solve?" Residents are worried that a €3 million project could reduce road capacity, increase congestion around schools, make life more difficult for old people and people living with disabilities and negatively impact local…”
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“Good legislation depends on good scrutiny and, unfortunately, this has not had the opportunity to happen here. Having said that, there is one aspect that I warmly welcome, because it represents a genuine improvement to our justice system and demonstrates what can be achieved when victims' voices are listened to. I acknowledge the work of my colleague Deputy Matt Carthy, Sinn Féin justice spokesperson, who worked tirelessly to secure this important reform following sustained engagement with the Minister for justice. His amendment has been accepted and will significantly strengthen the law relating to character references in our courts. For too long, victims and their families have spoken about the additional trauma caused by hearing glowing character references read out on behalf of offenders.”
“I welcome the opportunity to contribute on this motion, but I am disappointed by the manner in which the legislation has been handled by the Government. The Criminal Law, Civil Law and Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill before us is significantly different from the Bill that was first introduced in the Dáil. At every Stage of its fast passage, the Minister has brought forward substantial new amendments, including at this late stage of debate in the Seanad. These are not simply technical changes; they are significant legal and policy reforms that deserve proper debate and careful scrutiny by both Houses of the Oireachtas. Miscellaneous provisions Bills undoubtedly have their place but they should not become a catch-all mechanism for introducing major legislative changes with limited parliamentary oversight.”
“I move amendment No. 19: In page 12, between lines 16 and 17, to insert the following: “(1A) Where a guardian ad litem of the child, another guardian of the child, or a relative of the child (being a person who would be entitled to notice of proceedings under this Act) is of the opinion that anapplication under subsection (1) ought to be made in the best interests of the child, he or she may request the Child and Family Agency to make such an application. (1B) The Child and Family Agency shall consider any request under subsection (1A) and, where it decides not to make an application under subsection (1), shall, on request, provide reasons for that decision to the person who made the request.”.”
“I move amendment No. 16: In page 11, to delete lines 29 to 32 and substitute the following: “12I. (1) An application to the court for an order under this Part shall not be made in relation to the child concerned other than on notice to— (a) each guardian of that child (including a victim guardian within the meaning of section 12D), and (b) the next of kin of a deceased guardian of that child, where that deceased guardian died as a result of an offence referred to in section 12C(1)(a); provided that a person shall not be regarded as next of kin for the purposes of this paragraph if that person has been convicted of that offence,”.”
“(b) In determining whether paragraph (a) applies, the court shall have regard to— (i) any findings of fact made in the criminal proceedings, (ii) any evidence of domestic violence, including patterns of coercive control, and (iii) the best interests of the child concerned. (c) Where paragraph (a) applies, the Child and Family Agency shall not be required to make an application under subsection (1), unless the Agency is satisfied that, notwithstanding those circumstances, there is a risk to the safety or welfare of the child concerned. (d) Nothing in this subsection shall prevent the court from making an order under subsection (3) where it is satisfied that such an order is necessary and proportionate to protect the safety or welfare of the child concerned.”.”
“I move amendment No. 6: In page 8, between lines 8 and 9, to insert the following: “(7A) (a) Notwithstanding subsections (1) to (7), this section shall not apply, or shall apply with such modifications as the court considers appropriate, in a case where the convicted guardian was convicted of manslaughter and the court is satisfied that— (i) the act giving rise to the conviction was committed in self-defence, or (ii) at the time of the commission of the offence, the convicted guardian had been subjected to domestic violence (within the meaning of the Domestic Violence Act 2018) by the deceased guardian, and the offence occurred in circumstances materially connected to that history of domestic violence.”
“We have gone back and forth on this and the Minister has given all the information. I still feel nervous about having to wait for Tusla, that it is not obliged to make an application, for transparency reasons. Tusla does not have to answer to anyone if it chooses not to come forward. As it currently stands, there is a discretionary test that could limit applications where reasonable cause is not established. I will let the Minister come back to me on it and I will not press the amendment.”
“I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, to delete lines 18 to 32 and substitute the following: 12C. (1) Where a person (in this section referred to as the ‘convicted guardian’) who is a guardian of a child is convicted in the State of the murder or manslaughter of a person who was, at the time of the commission of the offence concerned, another guardian of the child concerned the Child and Family Agency shall, as soon as practicable but not later than 3 months after the conviction or any extension of that period under subsection (2), apply to the court in that behalf for an order under subsection (3).”. This amendment seeks to strengthen section 12C by requiring the Child and Family Agency to apply to the courts in every case following conviction. I believe the Minister has covered this already. He answered everything in my head.”
“Given Tusla's concerns about resourcing and identifying historical cases, it is essential that those closest to the child can bring matters forward and ensure appropriate applications are made to the court. I ask the Minister to consider those amendments.”
“I ask that, in some form, the Minister looks to see if he can accept one of these amendments to help strengthen the role of the family. On amendment No. 19, this section, as it stands, gives the Child and Family Agency full discretion in dealing with convictions that occurred before the Act commenced. Without strengthening this provision to include other parties, as my amendment seeks to do, there is a real risk that applications will not be brought. This amendment recognises that guardians ad litem , other guardians and relatives should have a role in prompting action where it is in the child's best interest. That aspect, that it is in the child's best interest, is most important.”
“I welcome the Minister back to the Upper House for the final Stages of this debate. Once again, I welcome David French and his family to the Chamber. I will make a brief contribution because Senator Keogan has covered the issue in a lot of detail. I will discuss our amendments Nos. 16 and 19. Amendment No. 16 ensures that all relevant parties are notified of court applications affecting a child, including the next of kin of a deceased guardian. It is similar to Senator Keogan's amendments. It is important that the family of the guardian who has been killed is made a notice party to these proceedings. They have a clear and legitimate interest in the child's welfare and that role should be recognised, respected and reflected in this process.”
“We also know that they are only the cases that are disclosed and the names of the women and children who ended up in the report. I plead with the Minister to say that the Upper House has meaningful debates and that today he is going to accept one of these amendments and do the right thing for the future of victims in Ireland. I hope he is going to find a way to ban the use of counselling notes for all of the people who have suffered. They will be in court because they have suffered as a result of the actions of someone else. I know we need to ensure there is a fair trial but there are ways around it. Someone's evidence and opinion of their evidence – because it is the counsellor's notes – should not be the main source for adjudication in a court case due to the amount of trauma it causes to the victim.”
“When someone is starting out on their journey after having a horrific experience and they need to seek counselling, they do not know at that time whether those notes are going to be subjected to being brought through the courts and whether their perpetrator will have all of this very private information about them. We know this is preventing them from going for counselling at the time. We know it is leading to suicide. The Minister mentioned he was at the launch of the report by Women's Aid. I outlined in the Chamber earlier the 162 pages of the report and that the statistics are worse than we have ever had on the island of Ireland. It is a national crisis, not just in the Twenty-six Counties but all across Ireland. We know the number of cases reported.”
“I wish to speak to amendment No. 17. I support the amendments tabled by Senators Harmon and Black. The Minister has listened to this at length in the committee and in so many debates. I understand that it is like Groundhog Day. He hears the same thing over and over again. The issue is not going away because women, men and everybody who needs to attend counselling feel so strongly about the damage it would do if we keep this practice in place. I urge the Minister to act. I know he has listened to Hazel Behan, who is a fantastic advocate, and Paula Doyle. They gave very powerful testimonies in the justice committee. I know he is seeking advice about ways around it without having a complete ban.”
“(3) The Minister shall, as soon as practicable after the completion of a review under subsection (1), prepare and publish a report containing anonymised data relating to— (a) the number of occasions on which powers under sections 40A, 40B and 40C were exercised, (b) the general nature of the operations or deployments concerned, (c) the use of force in the exercise of those powers, and (d) any other information the Minister considers appropriate for ensuring transparency in the operation of this Part. (4) The Minister shall cause a copy of a report under this section to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as practicable after its publication.”.”.”
“I move amendment No. 13: In page 15, between lines 33 and 34, to insert the following: “Review and annual reporting on operation of Part IIIA 40D . (1) The Minister shall, in respect of each calendar year, carry out a review of the operation of this Part. (2) A review under subsection (1) shall include an assessment of the exercise of powers under sections 40A, 40B and 40C, including the frequency and circumstances of their use.”
“I want to get my head around this. Amendment No. 13 requires an annual report - that is all - to review these sanctions in the event that amendment No. 11 is not accepted. However, I am hopeful that the Minister will accept both of these amendments.”
“People have the right to protest, but to send in the Army at that time was not appropriate. I hope that the reason behind bringing in these powers is not to do with that. Sinn Féin has been clear that any expansion of Defence Forces powers must be grounded in transparency, democratic oversight and absolute respect for civil liberties. The provisions on aid to civil power raise concerns regarding the normalising of military involvement in policing, which should remain exceptional and limited. I will be interested to hear what the Minister has to say on that. Amendment No. 11 proposes to delete the provision regarding aid to civil power from this Bill. If they are needed, let the Minister come back with a stand-alone Bill to the House when the Government is in a position to explain what is behind these proposals.”
“I move amendment No. 11: In page 15, to delete lines 1 to 8. These amendments relate to the civil power. What is important here is that in April 2026 the Minister said that the Defence Forces should be deployed to assist An Garda Síochána removing the fuel protest blockades. There was uproar in the country about this. This was a serious escalation at a time when the Government should have been focused on de-escalation. This is where there are serious concerns in the community. A few weeks later, out of the blue, we get these amendments to expand the deployment of the Defence Forces in aid to civil power being brought forward by the Minister. I want to get an explanation around this so that we have clear understanding. I was on the picket line at these protests. These were peaceful protests.”
“They are extremely concerned about the removal of guaranteed legal representation. Picture a courtroom, with a GAL, the voice of the child, who may never have stood in a courtroom in his or her life, a parent with his or her legal representation, and Tusla, with its legal representation. How is it in the best interests of the child if the GAL is without legal representation? This move is not in the best interests of the child at the centre of these court proceedings and I believe that this move will do untold damage. I hope the Minister might be able to answer this for me.”
“Although not necessarily part of this Bill, I would like to take the opportunity to raise another concern that I have relating to the newly established guardian ad litem national service announced yesterday. This will affect children who we are trying to protect in the legislation today. My colleague, Deputy Claire Kerrane, has been raising for months the removal of the guaranteed legal representation for guardians ad litem , GALs, who are the voice of children in child care court proceedings. Nobody to date, including the Minister who is bringing forward this change via amendment today, can say why this is being done. Deputy Kerrane has engaged extensively with the Association of Guardians ad Litem in Ireland, AGALI, the representative organisation for the majority of practising GALs in the State.”
“There are so many gaps in legislation which fail to protect mostly women, but not all women and children, in domestic violence situations. I am glad that some of these gaps are now finally being addressed. The legislation before us today will be known as Valerie's law. I gladly support the Bill but I feel there is still work to be done. The least we can do is make sure that we get it right. A number of issues were raised by David French during pre-legislative scrutiny. As we know, this has already been debated in the Dáil. We will be tabling those amendments again on Committee Stage. I hope the Minister will reconsider some of the Sinn Féin amendments, which were voted against in the Dáil and work with us on them in this Chamber.”
“He and his family have fought tirelessly for seven years for change here and in so doing he has done society a huge service. He must be commended for his work, perseverance and determination. I thank all the campaign and advocacy groups for their amazing work on the ground with victims, survivors and families in the area of domestic abuse. I acknowledge Jason Poole and his family for fighting to create a domestic violence register, another important Bill, known as Jennie's law, coming through the Seanad at the moment. I would also like to mention a group - Victims' Voices - with which Deputy Matt Carthy and I have been working to bring forward the Victims of Sexual Violence Civil Protection Orders Bill.”
“Sinn Féin welcomes the progression of this legislation. We are eager to work with the Minister to ensure it is as robust as possible. I want to start by paying tribute to Valerie, a woman who should have been turning 49 this year. As other Senators have mentioned, she was violently killed by her husband in 2019 when she was 41 years old. Valerie was a mother of three children, a caregiver and a professional therapist. My thoughts are with her children and all of her devastated family as we debate the various Stages of this legislation. I acknowledge Valerie's brother, David French, who is in the Gallery with Veronica today. David has worked tirelessly to highlight that the current legislation allows for people who kill their partners to retain guardianship of shared children.”
“I also acknowledge the incredible women, survivors and campaigners, who have helped bring it to this point. Their courage, advocacy and refusal to stay silent has pushed this onto the agenda.”
“I say "national" because this is across the island of Ireland. Although this report is just for the Twenty-six Counties, this is an all-Ireland problem and we need an all-Ireland approach. In that context, I welcome the important progress made yesterday by my colleague, Deputy Matt Carthy, when his Victims of Sexual Violence Civil Protection Orders Bill passed Committee Stage. This is important legislation because it will allow courts at the time of sentencing to put protection orders against abusers in place that remain in force after the sentence ends. A prison sentence does not automatically mean safety for these women. Survivors deserve protection that does not stop at the prison gate. They deserve not to live in fear of when their abusers will be released. I commend Deputy Carthy on driving his legislation forward.”
“Women disclosed being assaulted, raped, stalked, strangled, inappropriately monitored, humiliated, controlled and terrorised. They disclosed financial abuse, coercive control, threats to kill, threats to take their children and abuse that continued even after relationships had ended. There were 1,321 threats to kill, 512 disclosures of non-fatal strangulation, 906 disclosures of stalking, 381 disclosures of rape and 1,500 disclosures of abuse during pregnancy or after giving birth. Women in Ireland in 2026 are being terrorised in their own homes by men who are supposed to love them. Children are growing up in homes where fear is normal, control is constant and safety does not exist. I am asking for an urgent debate on violence against women because we cannot continue to treat this like a side issue. This is a national emergency.”
“What I have in my hand is the new Women's Aid report. It is fairly stark reading. I did not have a stapler big enough to staple it together. It is 160 pages long. This is just for 2025 and things are getting so much worse. I am calling for an urgent debate on domestic abuse and what we can do. This report is really frightening. It is the lived reality of women and children in Ireland today, but what is more frightening than what is in the report is that these are just the disclosed cases. We know that the statistics are much worse. Many more women do not feel safe to come forward or get to this stage. Women's Aid's front-line services were contacted 37,790 times, the highest number ever recorded. A total of 62,275 closures of abuse against women and children were made.”
“It is a very small amount of money if we look into the figures for the STEM engagement officer role for Laois County Council; I am asking, please. We are having a civic reception for this fantastic robotics team in Laois County Council tonight. The Minister of State is welcome to come along to see these amazing students. I ask him to try to find a solution.”
“I thank the Minister of State. He has made the case for the benefits of the STEM education programme even more clear from his remarks. The benefits it has for students are absolutely fantastic. I have to say, however, there would be an awful lot of students, teachers and parents absolutely devastated across the midlands if this funding were not due to be replaced with something else. I am asking - pleading, really - that the Minister of State goes back to the drawing board on this one and tries to see whether there is a different avenue. We do not have the facilities other big counties have. We are a very rural county, and the midlands gets neglected in a lot of areas. This is an area in which we are thriving. This school went to the world robotics competition in Missouri and won an award. We have to try to protect this.”
“I am asking the Minister of State to provide clarity on the future of the STEM engagement officer role and the STEM projects that were funded under this initiative; outline what discussions are taking place regarding replacing the fund; and, most importantly, ensure that the opportunities currently available to those children across Laois and the midlands are not lost. We should be building on the success of these projects and not allowing them to disappear.”
“At a time when we are hearing about attendance challenges and student well-being, children themselves are telling us that these programmes make school more enjoyable and meaningful. Surely we should be listening to that. Investment in STEM education is not simply an investment in schools; it is an investment in the future workforce, future employment and future economic development of Laois and the midlands region. Under the Just Transition Fund, four midlands counties, namely, Laois, Offaly, Westmeath and Longford, received €100,000 worth of equipment to roll out STEM engagement programmes. Nearly 5,500 students have benefited from STEM activities and equipment across four midland counties, with County Laois making up for one third of that number. This funding has now ended.”
“I know this is an area the Minister of State is passionate about as well. What also stood out to me was the school's observation that while team sports receive significant funding and support, they do not appeal to every child. Programmes like VEX Robotics provide another avenue for children to experience teamwork, achievement and belonging. Laois does not have any university campus providing ongoing STEM outreach and support. Schools in County Laois rely heavily on initiatives under different funding models to ensure children have access to opportunities that children elsewhere may take for granted. During the recent national conference on education, children from schools across Laois identified VEX Robotics as one of the reasons they enjoy coming to school. Let that sit for a minute.”
“While we celebrate their achievement, the very supports that helped make that possible are now facing an uncertain future. In recent months, I have been contacted by schools, teachers and parents who are deeply concerned about what will happen if funding for the STEM engagement officer role is not continued. One letter in particular from The Swan National School, which is a three-teacher rural school with just 29 pupils, really struck me. They described how difficult it was to fully capture the impact the programme had on their school community. They spoke about the skills gained by the pupils, the enthusiasm for learning, the confidence built through teamwork and problem-solving and the excitement visible on children's faces as they experienced both success and setbacks together. This is what education should be about.”
“I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House which gives me a chance to discuss this issue. I am delighted that this Commencement matter has finally been accepted at the fourth time of asking. I am raising an issue relating to STEM funding. I raised this issue following growing concerns across County Laois and the midlands regarding the future of the STEM education programme and in particular the funding of the STEM engagement officer role. A few weeks ago, we were all celebrating the incredible success of the Rosenallis National School robotics team which represented Ireland at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Missouri. These were pupils from a small rural school in County Laois competing on the world stage and making their community enormously proud.”
“I acknowledge the dedicated work of healthcare professionals, community organisations, advocates and volunteers who support people living with HIV every day and who continue to challenge stigma and promote inclusion. Ireland has committed to ending new HIV transmissions and eliminating HIV-related stigma. These are ambitious but very achievable goals. We need to own this in the Chamber to make sure we do our part to help. Let us recommit ourselves to building an Ireland that is compassionate, informed and inclusive, an Ireland where every person living with HIV is treated with dignity, respect and equality.”
“We therefore have to make sure everything available in urban areas is also available regionally. We must continue to support and expand access to preventative measures such as PrEP. The Minister talked about that and I was delighted to hear that she is looking for community pharmacy engagement in that regard. Anything we can do to work prophylactically and prevent an issue from arising is important. Ensuring services are available to everyone who needs them, regardless of where they live, is vital. Sinn Féin believes healthcare should always be based on need. That is very important. It should not be based on one's eircode, income or background, or whether one has private health insurance; it should be based on need. No one should be disadvantaged because of any of the reasons I have mentioned.”
“No one should have to carry that burden. We must continue to challenge the misinformation that exists, because it does exist, and ensure accurate education and awareness throughout our communities. As a Senator from Laois, I am particularly conscious of the importance of ensuring equal access to healthcare services for people living in rural and regional communities. Whether someone lives in Portlaoise, Portarlington, Mountmellick, Abbeyleix or a smaller village, they should have the same access to testing, prevention services and specialist support services as someone living up here in the city. Access to free, confidential and easily accessible HIV testing is essential. Early diagnosis saves lives, improves outcomes and reduces onward transmission.”
“We must also make sure that everything is brought to light in this Chamber, as was done yesterday evening for the new domestic violence register, and we must leave nothing under the stone any more. I welcome our visitors to the Gallery. It is great to have them there. Irish AIDS Day is an important opportunity to reflect on the progress that has been made while also recognising the work that still lies ahead. Thanks to significant advances in medicine and treatment, HIV is no longer the diagnosis it once was. People living with HIV can now live long, healthy and fulfilling lives. However, although science has advanced, stigma and discrimination have not disappeared. This is the point that I really wanted to focus on. Too many people still feel unable to speak openly about their diagnosis because of fear of judgment and misunderstanding.”
“I am really delighted to have the opportunity to speak on this today. I have to say that every time Senator Clonan speaks, he educates me. He speaks extremely well in the way he articulates things. I just want to take a moment to say that. He was talking about his friend Patrick in 1985 and how much we have come on from then. He mentioned that the song "Sign o' the Times" came out in 1987, which was the year I was born. It just tells us how much we have come on but how hard that journey has been for people. We have heard the stories and we have heard about the stigma. There still so much of it there, but our job in this House is to make sure we continue every day to keep raising awareness about the progress, treatment, education and stigma.”
“Instead, we are dealing with a manufactured urgency. This really undermines the democratic process. It is part of a wider, deeply concerning pattern of poor legislative practice, rushed Bills, guillotined debates and missed transposition deadlines. It is the responsibility of this House to scrutinise proposals from the Minister. I put on the record my utter disgust at this repeated poor parliamentary practice. Sinn Féin will not support this motion. The Irish people have been losing respect for the democratic process in recent times. It is completely unacceptable that there has not been proper scrutiny here.”
“I think it is an attempt by Ministers to cede authority to Brussels so that when things go wrong down the line, they can look the Irish public in the eye and say, "Our hands are tied; blame the European Union", whereas what the Minister should be fostering is an open, transparent process where the public can see their political institutions openly considering and debating proposals. This motion was added to the Seanad schedule on Monday evening. It is common for us to witness entire proposals being rushed through with sometimes virtually no scrutiny, especially in the case where the Minister extends provisions of Bills multiple times at various stages. Let us be very clear: if the Minister had a solid, robust justification setting out why an immediate Article 3 opt-in was necessary, he could have brought the proposal forward months ago.”
“An Article 3 opt-in forces to bind ourselves to this text right now during negotiation, whereas Article 4 allows Ireland to opt in at any point in the future. Why then do we need to do this? This issue is replicated across a plethora of legislative proposals the Minister has brought forward since his appointment. Why does this Government refuse to preserve Ireland's flexibility or facilitate meaningful scrutiny of his proposals? Why do Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Ministers have such an appetite for tying the hands of future Irish Governments? We saw it with the EU asylum and migration pact and we are seeing it again today with the firearms trafficking directive.”
“Sinn Féin will oppose this motion on the basis that the Government has unnecessarily chosen to opt in on an Article 4 basis rather than Article 3. Sinn Féin supports robust measures to combat firearms trafficking - of course we do - but we will not support a broken-down legislative process that surrenders democratic scrutiny and strips future Governments of their legislative scrutiny and legislative sovereignty. Once again, the Government is rushing to opt in to an EU measure under Article 3 of Protocol 21 when a perfectly viable, flexible alternative exists under Article 4. References to urgency here are completely baseless. Let us be completely clear about the difference. The Minister claims there is an urgent deadline next week. The deadline is entirely self-inflicted.”
“I have spoken about the success of Rosenallis National School so many times in this Chamber and its students winning the VEX Robotics competition in Missouri. That is absolutely fantastic. The same goes for the Swan National School, which is a 29-pupil school. The schools are going to be absolutely devastated by this loss. I am furious that I have submitted a Commencement matter on this three times and I have been refused each time. I ask Leader to call on the Minister to give me an answer because I am not giving up on this. It is not acceptable that a Senator would submit a Commencement matter three times and still not have an answer. This funding and role are due to end on 23 June and I need to go back to these principals and local pupils to explain what is happening.”
“I raise again the issue of STEM funding for the engagement officer in County Laois and concerns for the future of STEM education programmes. The last time I raised this matter in the Chamber, the Leader told me to submit a Commencement matter. I have done so three times and three times a Minister has refused to come into this Chamber to address why this STEM funding is being discontinued and what we are going to do about replacing it. This is really important, not just in rural schools but in urban schools as well. Education is not just about academics and sport; it is also about other curriculum activities. Some children do not engage with sports and there are all of these other fantastic opportunities out there. This funding has been in place, and the STEM engagement officer has been coming into schools and helping children.”
“Similarly, we must ensure that loopholes do not arise, whereby plea bargains or reduced charges allow perpetrators to avoid inclusion on the register altogether. A register alone will not end domestic violence. We also need properly resourced Garda protective service units, adequate refuge spaces, specialist supports for victims and survivors, and a justice system that places their safety at the centre. This Bill, known as Jennie's law, represents an important step in the right direction. It is also great to have in the Chamber David French who is campaigning on Valerie's law. Sinn Féin will help at every stage to make sure this legislation goes through the Houses. I commend everybody on their work on this.”
“Victims and survivors have repeatedly told us about the devastating impact of coercive control, stalking, harassment, intimidation, sexual violence, financial abuse and image-based abuse. These behaviours can leave deep and lasting scars and can destroy confidence, independence and lives. If we are creating a domestic violence register, it must capture the full range of abusive behaviours that place people at risk. I also note the concerns raised by Women's Aid and others that breaches of protection orders should be included in the scope of this legislation. Where a court has already deemed it necessary to provide legal protection to a victim, repeated breaches of those orders should be treated with the utmost seriousness.”
“This is why a register such as this has the potential to become an important tool in helping to protect people and prevent future harm. However, as highlighted during pre-legislative scrutiny, we must ensure we get this legislation right. One common concern raised by witnesses was the proposal that the offender could seek removal from the register after just three years. Jason Poole told the justice committee that three years is simply not long enough. That concern deserves serious consideration. The purpose of this register must be public protection first and foremost. We also need to ensure that the scope of offences included is broad enough to reflect the reality of domestic abuse in Ireland today. Domestic abuse is not limited to physical violence.”
“I know this too well from working with other advocacy groups, such as Victims' Voices, with which I have worked closely with my colleague Deputy Carthy on other pieces of legislation. They have told us this Bill is long overdue but also that we cannot just end up with a law that does not do exactly what it intends. Getting it right is important for victims and their families. Sinn Féin supports the introduction of a domestic violence register and the intent of this Bill fully. Domestic violence does not begin with a headline-grabbing assault. It often starts with control, intimidation, threats, isolation and fear. It can escalate over time, becoming more dangerous and more severe. From research and testimonies of survivors, we know that a documented history of abuse is one of the strongest indicators of a future in offending.”