The Government will examine a Solidarity-People Before Profit bill on gender-based violence and the potential banning of the availability of therapy notes in court cases if the coalition does not "get our act together" within a year, Tánaiste Simon Harris has said.
The Fine Gael leader said the year-long-delay is because Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan is working on a similar bill and that the Government wants to move forward with his plan.
Speaking during the latest Dáil Leaders Questions debate, Solidarity-People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste "how important the issue of gender-based violence actually is" to the Government.
Deputy Coppinger said she has tabled a bill seeking to outlaw the potential availability of therapy notes during such court cases, and claimed the Government was delaying it.
However, the Tánaiste responded by saying that any delay is "not out of disrespect for your bill, but out of respect".
He said this is because Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan is working on a similar bill, building on the work of his predecessor Helen McEntee.
"I too have met victims. You're not wrong on this. This is a very chilling issue, so it is our intention to legislate," Mr Harris said.
The Tánaiste said the Government is not blocking Deputy Coppinger's bill and is instead examining it as part of a "timed amendment" which will give Government space to "get our act together" on its own bill.
He said those affected "don't care about whose bill" is voted on, "they care about action", he added.
