I want to raise serious concerns today after watching "Prime Time" last night, on which a student in UCD was interviewed anonymously. This student was assaulted. Later, images surfaced of this assault and of her in a very vulnerable, unconscious, assaulted state. These images were circulated over long periods of time to fellow students in WhatsApp groups and to staff in the university also. This morning, I have written to the chair of the Oireachtas further and higher education committee suggesting that UCD come before it to outline what policies are in place for dignity and respect and its handling of these cases. It was brought up with the Garda but, unfortunately, the perpetrator has not been identified.

This is a very serious issue and I want to highlight that it is prevalent not only on college campuses, but in wider society in general. When I was equality officer in the then Union of Students in Ireland, USI, many moons ago, we did a survey in 2013 that showed that one in five women students experienced an unwanted sexual experience. This was further highlighted in research by the Higher Education Authority, HEA, in 2021, which found that 42% of students stated they had received unwanted sexual images and text messages during their time as students. Central Statistics Office, CSO, data from 2022 shows that one in five young adults experienced sexual harassment, with women twice as likely to experience it as men. We know that women in Ireland are four times more likely to experience unwanted and inappropriate physical contact. This is very serious. A lot of good work is being done on this by colleges throughout the country, and this needs to be highlighted, but we really need to have a discussion in the House about what is happening on our campuses throughout the country to deal with this.