I want to speak on the vicious and horrific attack on Scarlett Faulkner, a young woman and mother from the Traveller community, in Birdhill in Tipperary last weekend. The footage and descriptions that have emerged are absolutely harrowing and worse still is the result that Ms Faulkner is now in hospital fighting for her life. I believe I can speak for everyone here in this Chamber in saying all our thoughts and prayers are with Scarlett and we hope with the help of the doctors and the help of God she will pull through this.

I believe this appalling attack merits being mentioned today as it should give us all a moment to reflect, not just on the current state of the Traveller community, but on Ireland as a whole. I would like us to not only condemn the violence but also focus our attention on a glimmer of hope. Yesterday, I saw John Connors, a Traveller advocate, great actor and a member of that community, who put himself forward with commendable honesty and integrity to speak out against the incident and the so-called honour culture that fuels it. This “honour culture” has created a vicious cycle of violence. As Mr. Connors put it, “there’s not an hour’s look in it”. As those of us who know the Travelling community often hear, there is a greater problem of a culture of silence on this issue, of pretending there is no issue at all and letting the violence carry on. I believe John Connors is showing us all what a real honour culture looks like by speaking up and calling for an end to the beatings, videos and feuds that keep it all going. We all know the majority of the Traveller community are good, hard-working and honourable men and women. In fact, I was in the house last night of a local Traveller who was known as the king of the Travellers in our area, Tom Maughan, and who is being buried this morning. There are so many decent people in the Travelling community out there who will support the words I am speaking here this morning and who will support John Connors’s words. I call on them to join John Connors in speaking out against the feuds and call on us all to pray for the life and safety of Scarlett Faulkner.