Mattie McGrath demands urgent action on shared intimate images

Thank you very much, Gael. I too am delighted to be able to speak of this today. I think it's very timely that we're discussing this today on what has turned out to be International Men's Day, and we should all have a sense of shame and abhorrence, all men, to see what's going on and what happened in recent days of those images that were shared on, you know, internet and on different sites, you know, and people can call it coercive control or they can call it revenge porn. There are no adjectives to describe it, just simply disgusting, abhorrent and indeed, you know, very, very concerning and very concerning to any of us that are parents, grandparents, you know, or grandchildren to know that these things can happen and that men can do this and this seems to be in an organised fashion, a lot of effort and intuition put into it. So, Minister, you must act, we must act, and I think we can't wait to act. We acted in a banking crisis, we acted with COVID, we acted recently in health legislation, Minister, you included, at the hearsay, banning the hearsay, bringing in evidence to allow vulture funds to use hearsay evidence. This is shocking. I'm not saying anything personal to you, I know you will act, but we have to act immediately to have legislation in place that stops, and that stops us in its tracks, these kinds of disastrous, you know, images being shared. Often, as the previous speakers have said, taken in good faith, sometimes taken with people under 18 is shocking. It's truly shocking, and it must resonate with all of us in our core values. It's just, just not acceptable. I want to salute the coonsayer in Clonmelander to really rape crisis people, and the volunteers that demand those, and there are some paid people as well, but the volunteers, and they have to go out fundraising, and it's the only refuge that people have. And, you know, I also want to salute the people in there, and I know many of them from being involved in the Day Under the Archers in 8 September, where they do a huge fundraising campaign, and it's a wonderful awareness too, and all the musicians and talented people, the singers that come along and entertain, and the people pay, and we collect bucket collections, it's a shame they have to do that. They should be funded, and I want to salute Geraldine Millan, Breda Bell, Verona Nugent, and many others that are there, and a huge organisation that that day is, but they couldn't have that day this year, because of lockdown. And when are we going to learn about the lockdown? Look at the trauma, the figures that have been put out there, 25% increase, and I heard Deputy Murphy with interest, because he was a member of the Cabinet when, as Shane Ross said, Mr. Houlihan, Dr. Houlihan frightened that, I won't say what he said out of ye, and he did what we're all frightened. But Dr. David Neverhearrow has said now quite clearly, in numerous occasions, lockdowns don't work, lockdowns are regressive, and more harmful on the poorer people, and people of less income. Can you imagine being in a house where there's violence, or any kind of a flat, or any area, where there's both, and it can walk both ways, and some men are affected as well with domestic violence, and having lockdowns, these dark, dreary, desperate days, that are out at the moment with bad weather and shot days, and looking forward to Christmas, and knowing that we're being told, and being fed the line, that we're going to have another lockdown, after Christmas, and that's what's being fed, so, listen to the World Health, you quote them when you're suited, they have said that they don't work, we know they don't work, so, it's interesting to hear it from Deputy Murphy, and I welcome it, because he was in the Cabinet that brought it in, so, I've also wanted to salute, to Gardeci and Conor across the country, but especially in Tipperary, under Chief Superintendent Derek Smart, and the different Superintendents, Dennis Whelan, and Cair, and former Superintendent Pat O'Connor, just retired, and it is Superintendent Willie Leahy, and the Garde, when this new sexual unit was being set up some months ago, they were oversubscribed, with interest from Garde, I think they wanted 12 and 2000s, and they were way oversubscribed, and I want to wish that unit, well, it's so badly needed, and time has evolved, and education is very important, for all of us, and it's a bad day, we don't learn something, but it's a horrific day, that we'll learn about that, those events in recent days, so, we must act in here, in the next weeks, not after Christmas, we can't leave it, especially with the crisis, of lockdown, and I want to salute to Gardeci that went in, that gallantly joined that force, and I need to pay tribute again to a deceased Nilo Halland, Sergeant Nilo Halland, who was put laid to rest on Tuesday, had a great man, that worked in the communities, and had the trust in the back of the people, and the people, that had his back, and they could call him to his house, and he dealt with those issues so sincerely, as all Garde do, and they need further education, of course we do, and we need stronger legislation, but we need emergency legislation there, but unfortunately, when those units are set up, the community policing unit gets affected, the traffic call gets diminished, because they're only from within, we need more Garde, I know you are recruiting more, but we need more and more, because there are issues turning up now, but we have to deal, really, deal with the issue of porn, and other issues on the web, and all those issues that's going on, it's cyber crime, I know, it's dangerous as well, but we have to deal with this sensitively, and urgently, Minister, and I'm appealing to both ye, to bring legislation forward, in the very, very near future, to deal with this, I'm talking about days, not weeks, because we cannot face Christmas, with these situations, because this will actually stir up more, by it's been debated, and put more fear into people, that we're trying to help, Gourmaka. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.