In passing the second emergency legislation relating to the COVID-19 crisis, Senator Higgins highlighted the importance of honoring the trust that has been placed in the government and the public services by members of the public during these extraordinary times.
It is vitally important that honest and clear communication is maintained and that voices raising concerns about difficulties they are experiencing be heard and earnestly listened to.
She also referenced the valuable reminder from Michael Ryan of the World Health Organisation that human rights, privacy rights and human dignity cannot simply be put aside in the name of public health, rather they must be integral to our response. This is most especially important for those who are vulnerable, particularly those in direct provision and those experiencing homelessness.
This week in the Seanad I spoke about image based sexual abuse. I will strongly support speedy progress on legislation but also want to see it strengthened. It is vital that IBSA is identified not only as abuse & lack of consent, but that it’s identified as sexual abuse & a sexual offence.
In January 2017, the Knowledge Development Box Bill 2016 returned to the Seanad.