Ivana Bacik

I wish to start by joining in the tributes to Julie Lyons. We wish her and her family well on her well-deserved retirement after 34 years and seeing off nine taoisigh. We will miss her. My colleagues have reminded me just how kind and generous she has always been, particularly to the children who visit this House regularly. That has been really appreciated, and also the way she brought fun to our …

I wish to express my condemnation of the attacks last night on the global flotilla for Gaza. Our former constituency colleague Senator Chris Andrews is among the Irish citizens on the flotilla. I urge the Minister to work with EU colleagues to ensure the safety of all those on that flotilla. It is appalling to see attacks in this way, and it is yet another example of Israel feeling it can apparent…

I acknowledge Deputy Heneghan, who is on the flotilla along with other Irish citizens. We wish them all well and hope for their safety. This Government's response to me on climate is another classic exercise in deflection. We heard it earlier during the Government's response to the motion on child poverty and child homelessness. It was deflection and side stepping. Of course this Government is no…

I think it is a fair critique to make. The Government is not taking climate seriously-----

-----and we need commitments in this budget that will reassure us and ensure we meet our targets.

I will add that all our thoughts are with those on the flotilla. It is hugely important that Ireland does all it can on the world stage to ensure the safety of those on board. This week, we saw the US President and health secretary coming out with bizarre and unfounded assertions about links between paracetamol and autism. I want to share the horror of AsIAm CEO Adam Harris, who said that the ris…

The families of one in five children in Ireland, which means more than 225,000 children, now live below the breadline. Ours is a relatively wealthy country and yet more than 5,000 children are homeless. Those are 5,000 children in emergency accommodation who are doing their homework on the floors of hotel rooms or family hubs. Far too many are living in overcrowded homes with multiple generations …

Our motion tomorrow.

Of course increasing supply is a huge part of resolving the housing crisis. We will be putting forward constructive, costed proposals in our alternative budget next week, just as we did in our manifesto last year, on how to increase the supply. The reality is that the Government has not met its own targets on house building. The Minister knows that. On the tenant in situ scheme, of course it was …

It has been spent. No new acquisitions.

All of us are appalled to learn of the stabbings of a teenager and of a tourist in his 20s in Dublin over the weekend. We all think of those who have been injured and of their families. News of these attacks put fear into people. Knife crime is a real concern for many, particularly in Dublin city centre. An Garda Síochána, to much fanfare from the Minister's side of the House, announced an increa…

Like the Tánaiste, I acknowledge the very sad news emerging from Donabate. We all think of the little boy concerned, Daniel Aruebose. Our councillor Corina Johnston expressed this morning on the radio the great sadness and distress of the community of Donabate at the sad find. The genocide taking place in Gaza reached intolerable levels of cruelty and carnage over the summer. More than 65,000 peo…

I thank the Tánaiste for that comprehensive response. I would welcome a briefing on the occupied territories Bill - anything to move things on there. I absolutely agree with him on the need for transnational and international action, but we can and should also act unilaterally because we have a strong voice of moral authority. There are like-minded states. I know this from my engagement at EU leve…

I again express my solidarity with the Tánaiste and his family in the face of the horrible threats made against him, which I have condemned. Indeed, they are profoundly anti-democratic. We know that the online space plays a huge role in fomenting this sort of hate. In that context we should all be concerned to see the exposé on RTÉ's "Prime Time" tonight, which will show the serious national secur…

I want to welcome everyone back to the House, in particular Deputy Holly Cairns on her return from maternity leave. I congratulate Deputy Emer Currie.

Sorry, I am rusty after the summer recess. It is good to be back in the Chamber and we have serious work to do here over the course of this Dáil term. For the Government, its long to-do list has lengthened over the summer months. There is so much for the Government to do. It must build homes. It must address the suffering of all of those locked out of secure housing. It must provide basic and effe…

With respect, I do not need lectures on work and on jobs. We are the party of work. Labour is the party of workers' rights. We have a proud record on job creation. We absolutely agree with the Taoiseach that, of course, job creation and work is crucial, but I meet people all the time - the Taoiseach must meet them too - who tell me they are working hard, getting up early in the morning every day, …

How?

I return to the Government’s failure to provide for children. The thought of one child in homelessness is awful, but last month the number of children in homelessness in Ireland surpassed 5,000 for the first time - another shameful record. We see now more than 16,000 people altogether without a home. On the media this week, the Taoiseach sought to deflect blame from central government to local aut…

It is deflecting.

It is deflecting blame.

6. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [48430/25]

We know the level of homelessness is at record highs. The key to tackling homelessness and the housing crisis is ensuring increased supply, but the number of planning permissions for new housing is falling and house prices and rents are rising. We were originally led to believe the Government's new housing plan would be published over the summer. It was then delayed, and now it is said it will be …

I welcome young Olivia Nevin who is in the Gallery with her family. She is up from Cork for a birthday visit to Leinster House. The number of children in homelessness is hurtling towards the 5,000 mark. This would represent a truly shameful new record. The tenant in situ scheme can no longer keep families in their homes because the Department of housing has starved it of cash. Dublin City Council…

That is not true.