Rose Conway-Walsh urges urgent action on violence against women
Rose Conway-Walsh delivered a speech on 19 January 2022 addressing violence against women, mourning the death of Aisling Murphy and urging immediate, sustained action. She called for a dedicated ministerial lead, properly resourced supports for survivors, cross-party cooperation, and regular parliamentary follow-up.
Condolences and national alarm
Rose Conway-Walsh opened by extending condolences to Aisling Murphy's family and said the country has been united in sorrow and anger. She reminded listeners that Aisling is one of 244 women who have died violently since 1996 and asked why so much remains undone in 2022.
Hidden scale of violence and help-seeking
She highlighted how much violence against women is hidden, noting that only about 25% of women ever seek help and that many cases go unreported. Conway-Walsh linked low reporting to a lack of confidence that women will receive the support they need and urged the minister to ensure resources are in place for an expected rise in women coming forward.
Leadership and resourcing demands
The deputy pressed for a single ministerial lead and a clear leadership role within Cabinet, arguing that without it ‘‘things won't happen’’. She reiterated longstanding calls for properly resourced services so calls for help can be answered meaningfully and immediately.
Cross-party work and legislative progress
Conway-Walsh acknowledged past cross-party efforts on coercive control and named contributions from figures such as David Stanton, Ivana and Colette Kelleher as examples of civic and parliamentary cooperation. She urged the minister to remove internal blocks within the civil service that have impeded progress.
Specific appeals and oversight proposals
She appealed for action on missing woman Sandra Collins, missing since December 2000, asking that her family receive closure. Conway-Walsh also called for protections to stop children being forced to meet known perpetrators and proposed bringing the issue back to the floor every two months to measure commitments and ensure the strategy is implemented.
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Cancorla and at the outset I too want to extend my condolences to the Murphy family on the loss of Aisling Murphy and I think the whole country has been united in sorrow and in anger over the last week and that must mean something and it must count for something but we have to remember as was said that Aisling is one of 244 women who have died violently since 1996 and we do have to question ourselves why are we still here in 2022 with so much left to do and the truth is that we haven't prioritised addressing violence against women and we must do so now we must do so in a serious way and Minister I do I listened intently to your contribution and I do think that you are very genuine in your approach and in what you are setting out to do and I'm also encouraged today across the political divide because I didn't know what to expect coming in here today and I am encouraged that there is a willingness and an openness to work together on this and I think if there needs to be one legacy from Aisling is that we do that so that we play our part because each of us has a part to play in terms of legislation and making sure that things change and the things that women are asking us to change change here and change now I also remember today all the lives that have been cut short because of violence and domestic violence because we often fail to remember that in our communities the women who have suffered and I think in capturing the why the data is so important as well is that it's so hidden the violence and the violence is so hidden we know that the violence and the violence is so hidden we know that delving about 25 of women ever seek help we know so much of it goes unreported and again we have to ask why and the reason why is that women don't feel that they are all going to get the support that they need and immediately I would ask you that because you know from all of these discussions including today there will be a huge increase in the women who will come forward and I would encourage would encourage women to come forward, to get the support and get help. I would ask Minister that you would make sure that the resources are there for all of those calls to be answered and for women to get the help they need in a meaningful way. We have asked for years for a Minister solely in charge. We all agree again that that is the way forward, that there is a key leadership role within Cabinet, because we know otherwise that things won't happen. We know that everybody has been responsible and nobody has been responsible for many of the things that have happened that should have been addressed heretofore. I do want to acknowledge David Stanton and what he did in terms of coercive control. I know Ivana is here, we worked, and I think it was a good example of us working, you know, cross party in the Shannad, with the civic engagement group, and I don't want to start naming the individuals because I know I will leave somebody out, but Colette Kelleher comes to mind as well that she is no longer in the Shannad. I know that when David was doing that, and you will know Ivana, when he was trying to bring that forward, he was meeting with blocks, and you will meet with blocks, you will meet with blocks within the civil service of people who will say that can't be done, we cannot do it that way. I would say to you Minister, you have the collective mandates of all of us within the Chamber here to get rid of those blocks and to make sure that we make a difference. I want to remember Sandra Collins today as well, and I want to appeal to people who, Sandra hasn't been seen since December 2000, she is one of the missing women, and the Garda file is still open on that, and all they want is for Sandra, they accept now that she is no longer with us, that her body would be returned. So I want to appeal again today for that to be done. There is just another thing Minister I want to ask you. For perpetrators of violence, former partners and former husbands, please do something to make sure that children are not then forced to meet those perpetrators. There are too many judgements being made where it is known where there have been violent relationships and where they have been perpetrators of violence, where children are then made to go and meet those same people. So there are many things that we can do. I feel encouraged by the commitments today, and we will work together, and it is our duty. I want to ask you as well, can we bring this back onto the floor, say every two months, even for this year, to make sure that we measure the commitments that have been made today in terms of the strategy and in terms of the other things that we continuously measure, that these things have been done. We cannot just afford to let this slide. Thank you Deputy. you
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