Departmental Strategies
Dail Éireann — 2026-03-03
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Ruth Coppinger (PBP), Dublin West

I am sure the Taoiseach would agree that the way sexual assaults survivors are treated is a key part of well-being in any country, and we have already seen the battle for people not to have their own therapy notes used against them in court.
This week, we are seeing how third level institutions treat victims of gendered violence. I highlighted the medical student who was raped, had image-based sexual abuse used against her and lost her place on the medical course. She tried to get reinstated and, long story short, UCD won that court case against her and are imposing costs. I have spoken to other students who have been victims of sexual assault at UCD. The dignity and respect policy seems to be utterly meaningless - for example, even to have the assailant not be allowed to go into a building where they attend courses. Even something as simple as that is impossible, and in all cases, it is the victim who ends up losing their education.
Another student had to do the rest of their degree online but the rapist, of course, continues on with their degree, affecting their mental and physical well-being as well as affecting how they do in their degree overall.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-03-03/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:02+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-03