All this is evidence-based.

The Taoiseach’s response and tone indicate the problem here. The renters listening to him now are the people who are facing the certain knowledge that from 1 April, a notice of termination will take effect, they will face eviction and there is nowhere else for them to go because there is a chronic shortage of housing across the country. We listened to the Taoiseach’s fatalistic tone suggesting there is nothing that could be done during an extended period of an eviction ban. The point is that the eviction ban was to…

Yesterday, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, issued a final warning on climate change with some deeply concerning findings including the fact that temperatures have been rising faster in the last 50 years than for the previous two millenniums. The science is very clear. There is an urgent need to decarbonise our economy and society. I ask that we would have a debate on this new and urgent report as a matter of priority in the coming weeks.

Two weeks ago, news broke that building has been paused on 58 school construction projects around the country, including four urgent school construction projects in my constituency of Dublin Bay South, two in Harold's Cross and two in Sandymount. All four are Educate Together schools whose campuses I have recently visited. I am getting so much correspondence from parents and staff in those schools who are deeply concerned at the halting of these projects. These are schools that are growing exponentially and that re…

The Democratic Unionist Party, DUP, confirmed that it will vote against the British Government's proposals on the Stormont brake on Wednesday. This is of real concern as it is a key part of the Windsor Framework agreement. The DUP's approach now indicates that, sadly, we are no closer to the restoration of the power-sharing Executive and the Stormont Assembly. This clearly has major political and practical implications for the people of Northern Ireland. We saw in recent weeks teachers and healthcare workers having…

The UN IPCC climate report, published yesterday, represents a last wake-up call. Decisions made this decade will have an impact lasting thousands of years. Although the window of opportunity is closing, the report makes clear that some feasible and effective options are available to us to reduce emissions. I will ask the Taoiseach about three of them. First, the report states we must phase out fossil fuels if we are to limit global warming. Countries will have to cease all licensing or funding of new oil and gas an…

Dublin 2, 4, and 6 are great.

I note the focus on equality in the well-being framework and highlight that this year marks two important anniversaries, namely, the 30th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality through the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 and 40 years since the landmark case taken by our dear colleague Senator Norris to the Supreme Court in 1983. In that context, have all Government records regarding the litigation and the proposals for law reform been released to the National Archives and are they now publicl…

On behalf of Labour, I support the motion and commend Deputy Ó Broin and his colleagues for bringing it forward. It represents a sensible and compassionate approach to the growing crisis and the impending cliff edge that so many families and renters are facing. I cannot support, nor can my Labour colleagues, the Government amendment. I urge the Government and the Minister to recognise the reasonable nature of the Sinn Féin motion and to support an extension of the eviction ban. I have read the Government amendment …

The Minister is right that there are 173 in the pipeline - that is also in the answer - but only seven have been purchased. I also hear from landlords who tell me they are trying to engage with local authorities, because they want to sell to a local authority to keep the family renting from them out of homelessness, and the local authorities are not engaging. I hear of other problems with the tenant in situ scheme that have to be resolved. The Mercy Law Resource Centre has asked me what provision is being made with…

This morning, I was aghast to hear the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage confirm to my colleague, Deputy Duncan Smith, that his Department has no modelling on the projected effect on homelessness rates of lifting the eviction ban. I was further aghast to read a parliamentary question reply to my office this morning, setting out the criteria used to justify lifting the ban in this way at this time. In the four paragraph reply I received, meteorological conditions got nearly two paragraphs and press…

There is no model.

The Government is not doing either.

Seven houses.

What evidence?

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. It is unedifying to see those two alternatives portrayed. It is good we live in a democracy where there are other choices.

Guím Lá Idirnáisiúnta na mBan sona ar gach éinne sa Teach. Is iad ár leanaí todhchaí na tíre seo, ach ní féidir leis na hoibrithe a thugann cúnamh agus oideachas dár leanaí óga tithíocht a choimeád de bharr a bpá íseal agus an cosc a stop an Rialtas inné. Níl aon áit ar fáil do go leor leanaí i gceantair áirithe agus tá an iomarca airgid á íoc ag tuismitheoirí atá ag streachailt cheana féin. Today, on International Women's Day, I welcome the announcement that a referendum on gender equality will be held in November…

I thank the Taoiseach for the commitment on the referendum. That is welcome. However, we need to see Government policies on care and housing that recognise the difficulties and discrimination still faced by so many women, in particular. It is not just parents who are being failed. While there has been a welcome reduction in fees, there is a very significant problem now for childcare and early years professionals. I met one young early years professional last week who told me she is forced to emigrate to Brisbane in…

On International Women’s Day, we should recall that many women lack support from employers when facing difficult issues around pregnancy loss and reproductive health. To address this, two years ago today, we publish the Organisation of Working Time (Reproductive Health Related Leave) Bill 2021 to provide up to 20 days paid leave for women who experience early miscarriage and up to ten days leave for employees undergoing IVF treatment. The Government initially expressed openness to this Bill in the Seanad but we wer…

Mar a dúirt mé ar maidin, guím Lá Idirnáisiúnta na mBan sona ar gach éinne sa Teach. It is good to celebrate International Women's Day with these statements. It was good to celebrate with the women’s caucus earlier at the unveiling of statues of Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese in the hall of Leinster House. It is very good to hear that the Government intends to run the referendum on gender equality this autumn. I welcome that and thank the Minister for his kind remarks on the work of the Joint Committee on Gender E…