Cabinet Committees
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-15
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Ruth Coppinger (PBP), Dublin West

There are calls today for an all-island response to the epidemic of gender-based violence. In Northern Ireland, 30 women have been killed since 2020. It is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman. A woman is more likely to be killed by her own son than by a stranger. The family and the home are very dangerous places. ROSA in the North has called a protest in Belfast for Saturday, 25 April to respond to the fact that 30 women have been killed and to say not one more should be killed. Two women were murdered in three weeks recently. This was at the same time as the Natalie McNally trial which showed a very premeditated killing by her former partner. In relation to gender-based violence in the South, the Taoiseach mentioned legislative reform but there has been very little such reform that I can think of. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has added its voice to the call for access to counselling notes to be banned in gender violence trials. We need to see that legislation moved and we need to see what survivors want.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-15/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:49+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-15