Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-20
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Micheál Martin (FF), Cork South-Central

That reform is under way and is continuing. We have been fairly open to any constructive amendments in respect of the various legislative mechanisms that have been introduced. The Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 will restrict the disclosure of counselling records in sexual offence trials and criminalise the exploitative practice of sex in lieu of rent. The criminal justice Bill of this year will set up a domestic violence register of judgments, which will ensure that convictions for serious domestic violence offences are made public as part of the conviction process. Each Garda division now has a protective services unit focused on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Early intervention is key.
There is a broader issue of education and awareness and there are some good programmes, with the GAA and Ruhama, for example, in respect of aspects of this. Operation Encompass, which is a police-led, school-based early intervention approach designed to support children and young people who experience domestic abuse, is in development for Drogheda, County Louth.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-20/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:47+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-20