Ivana Bacik

We do not want to set up a new State agency.

You misread it.

I am not hearing any acceptance of responsibility. The Taoiseach leads the Government. His party has the housing Ministry, and yet every time any of us in opposition raises the housing crisis with the Taoiseach, he seeks to deflect responsibility, putting it back on the Opposition and suggesting we have no policy. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am very proud of the Labour Party's housi…

Last week, I joined an incredibly moving event on Kildare Street. It was organised by Grannies for Palestine. Its members unveiled a patchwork crochet banner that stretched the length of Kildare Street across the front of Leinster House. Devastatingly, each square in the banner was crafted to represent ten Gazan children who have been killed since Hamas's barbaric attack in October 2023. That mean…

We will keep pressing on the occupied territories Bill, but there is more here in Ireland that the Taoiseach's Government could be doing to show solidarity with the people of Palestine and, in particular, the children of Palestine. First, I have been working for some months now seeking urgent action from the Government to bring desperately sick children out of Gaza on a medical evacuation with th…

Yes.

And the GAA?

We have seen yet another Trump tariff turn with his 30% announcement - or threat at least - at the weekend. I know, as the Taoiseach has said, this would be ruinous both for the EU economy and the US. We have also seen the new deadline of 1 August. Speaking with small business owners, they say it is not a relief to see that extended. Rather, it prolongs the uncertainty for business in Ireland, as …

1. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on EU and international affairs will next meet. [26918/25]

A great deal has happened since 16 June when the Cabinet committee last met. I will come back to the question of tariffs, which I raised with the Taoiseach during Leaders' Questions. The tariff of 30% now threatened by President Trump would, of course, be ruinous, as the Taoiseach rightly said, for EU-US trade. I asked the Taoiseach what the contingency plan is, given that the adjusted deadline is…

12. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach to report on his discussions with the new Canadian Prime Minister. [28979/25]

I thank the Taoiseach for the update. I note the Taoiseach said there was ongoing engagement with Canada on seeking to work together to stop the brutal war in Gaza. Can the Taoiseach brief more on that and the steps that are ongoing with Canada on that? How closely are the EU and Canada engaging on the tariff threat? We have seen Trump threatening Canada with a further 35% tariff despite the blan…

18. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [25317/25]

I begin by welcoming an important young visitor Minnie McDermott to the Visitors Gallery. I again welcome yesterday's announcement about the establishment of a commission of investigation into sexual abuse in schools. I pay tribute, as I know we all do, to the Ryan brothers, David and the late Mark, for their bravery in stepping forward and speaking out about their experiences of abuse. We owe an…

We all want to see those accountable to be made to contribute. I welcome that the Government is exploring and examining legal options. However, this is not a new phenomenon; we have known about this issue for years. The Labour Party produced a Bill to ensure that we can pursue religious orders and unincorporated associations. I have sent the Taoiseach a copy I will send him another copy. We need t…

We know St. John Ambulance has paid money in settlements to a survivor who alleges sexual abuse in childhood by a former senior figure in St. John Ambulance. We are aware of further civil cases, and that some have been referred to An Garda. In 2023, the Shannon review confirmed systemic failures in St. John Ambulance from the sixties to the nineties. I note a recent statement from the Minister, De…

Which we welcomed.

I thank the Taoiseach for the update on his attendance at the European Council. I attended the Party of European Socialists leaders' summit on the morning of the European Council in Brussels on 26 June. As the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, knows, there is a group leaders' summit in advance of Council meetings. We in the Labour Party are proud affiliates of the Party of European Socialists and, …

-----here in Ireland.

One in five families have cut back on or gone without heating in the past six months. Two in five are going without essential items, including food and medical appointments. Some 40% of parents are skipping meals so their children would have enough. According to today’s Barnardos report into the cost-of-living crisis, parents across the country are facing impossible decisions. This is starkly hig…

I listened carefully to the Taoiseach's laundry list of measures. Certainly, we welcome progress where it occurs. However, the reality for families is that the cost-of-living crisis is not a once-off. It is an ongoing crisis where people are struggling to make ends meet. We have put forward constructive proposals. My colleague, Deputy Ged Nash, put forward a Bill to tackle price gouging in superma…

What about student fees? Is there any certainty on student fees? There is no clarity.

That is not true.

I welcome our visitors from Tipp. As I have strong Cork connections, I will just say, "May the best team win". That is safer. I will ask about an issue I have been raising with the Taoiseach for quite some time, which he has a long awareness of. It is justice for survivors of thalidomide. Activists from the Irish Thalidomide Association are wondering what the status of the thalidomide resolution …

That is not true.