TDs to propose Dáil survey on bullying and harassment
A women's group in the Dáil wants a survey carried out amongst all parliament staff to find out if there is a culture of bullying or harassment.
The Sunday Independent says a steering group within The Oireachtas Women's Caucus is calling on members to support a proposal to survey all men and women on their experiences of working in Leinster House.
The move would come on the back of a British survey which revealed one in five people working in Westminster had experienced or witnessed sexual harassment or inappropriate behaviour.
The group is being led by Green Party TD Catherine Martin who, along with four other members of the steering group, is to put the proposal before the Oireachtas Women's Caucus on Tuesday.
She hopes the Caucus will support the plan to conduct a survey of all people working in Leinster House.
"So our proposal is to ask the Caucus - is this something they consider that needs to be done, and that would be a survey of every single person, man and woman, who works in Leinster House: staff, TDs, Senators, journalists and so on," she said.
"If they agree to that, then we would ask the Oireachtas Commission to carry out that survey."
Fine Gael Senator Catherine Noone recently voiced allegations of sexism and bullying against a colleague at a private meeting of party TDs and senators in Leinster House.
