Deputy Farrell is on her way. While marking International Women's Day we need to reflect not only on the achievements of women across Ireland but also on a difficult and painful history that cannot be ignored. For generations women in Ireland were marginalised, silenced and controlled, from institutional abuses to systematic exclusion from public life. I want to acknowledge the recent developments with Philomena's law, particularly for Irish women living abroad. We should never have dealt with them the way we did in terms of ignoring them. That is leaving aside all the other alterations and amendments that need to be done in that regard. This legacy still casts a long shadow and it is our responsibility to confront it with honestly and determination. Just this morning we had the welcome news that a new unit will be set up within Fiosrú, the Office of the Police Ombudsman, to investigate domestic and sexual abuse complaints against members of An Garda Síochána and, most importantly, to investigate public complaints where it is alleged that An Garda Síochána failed to properly investigate incidents of gender-based violence and sexual abuse. However, it should not have taken the courage and bravery of women like Margaret Loftus to come forward for this progress to be made. I await the detail of that announcement to ensure it is fit for purpose for the women who have suffered abuse and who have been dragged through a justice system that has fought against them and who have, in many cases, suffered abuse at the hands of our justice system. The place of women is not on the margins of our society but it is at the very heart of decision-making, leadership and nation-building. Last year I was pleased to collaborate with Dr. Shelley Deane, Professor Joanne McEvoy and Professor Jennifer Todd on their project, Constitutional Visions from the Grass-roots: Towards a Deliberative Ecology Beyond Group Division. Their deliberative democracy work with women from across the island has shown the power of women's voices in shaping not just policy but the very future of our island. They remind us that a new and united Ireland must be built from the ground up, informed by lived experience and driven by equality and equity. Today, women are shaping that new Ireland as leaders, workers, carers and activists. I want to acknowledge the cross-party work that was done by the Good Friday Agreement committee around women and constitutional change. We have a unique opportunity here to shape a new and united Ireland, and women have to be at the very heart of that.

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