Hear, hear. I agree with the Cathaoirleach's sentiments.

Today is day 1 of 16 days of action against gender-based violence. For the next 16 days, I urge Senators as basic humans, as legislators, as parents and as sisters or brothers to consider how we can act at an individual level to eradicate gender-based violence. They say that domestic violence has been the shadow pandemic for the past two years, but gender-based violence was simply more hidden before Covid. It reached breaking point during Covid and people could take no more. We must remember that the people and families that were tortured by domestic violence were tortured before Covid as well. Gender-based violence of every kind is on the rise, for example, sexual harassment and rape. It is relentless. It is horrifying to think about what people have to put up with in life.

It is up to us. For the next 16 days, I urge all Senators to talk to their friends and colleagues when sitting with them at the bar and to ask themselves how they as human beings can work to support their friends and colleagues if they are going through this at home. I call on Senators to support their local refuges, Safe Ireland and anyone they think might be going through this. I have no doubt that there are people in this House who are going through it.

I am fundraising for Women's Aid Dundalk. I will send Senators a donation link if they want to support it. It does incredible work in Dundalk and elsewhere in north County Louth. We have a fantastic refuge and system. Women's Aid Dundalk has worked against all odds for the women and children of north County Louth to create a space that is a safe place and safe home for them to go to and to give them a better life.

I wish to associate myself with Senator McGreehan's remarks. We need to do everything we can to highlight gender-based violence. The problem is that, in many instances, we do not know. There is a culture of masking it and pretending that everything is right when it is not. As such, it is good that we have 16 days to highlight it.

Every Thursday morning, I come to the Chamber and give out about what I have heard at the Joint Committee on Disability Matters. This morning, though, I bring good news. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, appeared before us. To say that she is impressive and on top of her brief would be putting it mildly. She is extraordinary. I asked her about the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNCRPD, the lead-up to the ratification of the optional protocol by the Government, what work was under way and whether she was driving it. She is driving an impressive group comprising representatives from all Departments as well as activists and advocacy groups from across the country. The voices of people with disabilities are being listened to and are at the table. That is what this is about, namely, nothing about us without us. To drill down and hear about the implementation of change for people with disabilities has been impressive.

The Minister of State gave a shout-out to two bodies that I am proud to amplify in the Chamber. One was the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, under the Tánaiste, who is our party leader, and the Minister of State, Deputy English, in terms of workplace changes. She also noted the extraordinary work being done across the country by the Office of Public Works, OPW, in particular. That work provides access to monuments and public buildings, opportunities to get out and about, etc. The OPW is under the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan. I wish to pay tribute to all of that and to supply some good news for a change.

I thank the Senator for sharing that with us this morning.