Survivors of gender-based violence have just held a press event calling for Government action and for people to attend global marches taking place on Tuesday, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. I welcome Natasha O'Brien and Becca Clarke to the Gallery. They are among the survivors who just spoke. I also send solidarity to the loved ones of Stella Gallagher, who was killed in Cork this week. Violence against women and LGBT people is a global epidemic. The UN recognises it as such. Even ten minutes, a woman or girl is killed by a family member. The femicide report in the UK says that more women are killed by their sons than by strangers. There are no riots or calls for debates in here when we hear statistics like that but it is the actual reality. Across the globe, women and people of all genders will march. There is going to be a shutdown in South Africa. In Ireland, ROSA is calling for protests at City Hall in Dublin at 5.30 p.m. next Tuesday and in Limerick and Cork, also on Tuesday. The UN is highlighting online violence and online misogyny this year. There is no doubt that spreading misogyny is the bedrock of violence against women. This week, the US President said to a reporter "Quiet, piggy." The New York Post is asking whether women ruined the workplace. We are seeing a huge backlash against women's rights. Companies that are based here and enjoy huge tax breaks are participating in the grooming of young boys and the spreading of the manosphere and of misogynistic ideas such that traditional attitudes, as they are called, are re-emerging. What is in the Tánaiste's control is the justice system. I will quickly raise two issues. The first is the fact that, over the last decade, the DPP has opted not to prosecute 13,000 cases of sexual violence. People like Nikita Hand and Becca Clarke, who is here today, had their cases turned down even though they were among the 5% of people who actually try to prosecute a case. The other issue I will raise with the Tánaiste is that of the Bill regarding counselling notes that is being drafted by the Minister for justice. This is something I have raised with the Tánaiste before. The fact that their therapy notes can be used by the defence has been identified as a misogynistic and traumatising issue for many survivors. The justice committee, the National Women's Council, the Rape Crisis Centre, all of the professional therapists and psychologists and all survivors want a complete ban on this. The Tánaiste needs to tell his Minister to go back to the drawing board and to find a way to make it impermissible to introduce counselling notes as evidence. They are third-party notes. In fact, they are hearsay. They are not evidence fit for a trial. We need a complete ban on this now. There must be no more messing around and no more retraumatising people who actually have the gumption and stamina to take a court case in this country, which is very rare.

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Please do not.

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I was here on a Thursday for the last debate on gender-based violence. It was pretty empty and it was many months ago. I get Leaders' Questions once a month, so I would appreciate if the Tánaiste could focus on the issue of the counselling notes and the DPP. He did at the end there; fair play. On the counselling notes, the Minister has drafted a Bill under massive pressure and after campaigning by survivors who should not have to do this. Sarah Grace told the world she would nearly rather be attacked again than go back into our courts system. That should be a cause for real concern. One of the issues has been therapy notes being used by the defence. The Minister has drafted a Bill but it leaves the option open. A judge will decide if they can be included. Even the fact that such a decision could be made is traumatic. It is forcing many people to choose between therapy or a trial. What the Minister is proposing is the easy route but not the correct route. I ask the Tánaiste to ask him to go back to the drawing board. With his legal acumen and all the legal expertise the Government has, he should be able to come up with a way to rule out counselling notes as evidence in a fair trial in line with the Constitution. Maybe we could return later to the question of the DPP, if not today. It is a real problem for Nikita Hand, who had to take a civil case - God knows the difference she made by doing so - and people like Becca, who did every single thing right but did not get her day in court.

Sentiment score: 0.06