Ivana Bacik

1. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [22233/25]

In terms of access to education for children with additional needs, I know Cara Darmody is speaking again today with Oireachtas Members about waiting lists for assessments for those with additional needs, and delays in accessing services and therapies. Will the Taoiseach confirm what extra capacity has been added to the system in recent months? Second, I welcome the announcement that the Minister…

I welcome it.

In parallel.

14. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [25318/25]

I spoke earlier about the major crisis in our public infrastructure that is clearly delaying progress on the construction of housing and, indeed, delaying progress towards meeting our climate targets. In particular, I speak about difficulties with energy and water infrastructure. I want to focus on water infrastructure because just at the end of May, the Government was warned by Uisce Éireann that…

I asked about a contingency plan.

What is the contingency plan?

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am sharing time with Deputy Ciarán Ahern. I welcome the fact the Minister of State is here and I thank Deputy Ahern, who will speak alongside me. This is a Bill that we in the Labour Party introduced some time ago. It was drafted in the wake of the nursing home charges scandal. A key purpose of the Bill is to clarify and reform the role of the …

A Cheann Comhairle, might I ask if there is a copy of the Minister of State's speech available? I am conscious there was a lot in it.

Sorry, is it me-----

I thank my colleague Deputy Ciarán Ahern and Deputy Mairéad Farrell for their words of support. I should also have thanked Deputy Ged Nash, who co-sponsored this Bill with me, at the outset. I also thank Deputy Farrell for her kind words about my background. I should have declared my interest at the start. As a practising barrister, I represented both the State and individuals suing the State. I h…

I thank all those who spoke in support of our Labour motion on nursing homes and care. I thank in particular my colleagues Deputies Marie Sherlock and Mark Wall for leading on this motion. We in the Labour Party have put this forward with one key purpose, namely, to ensure dignity for those of our citizens who are ageing. Everyone in Ireland should be supported to age with dignity. We have set out…

I join others in expressing condolences on the death of Brother Kevin Crowley of the Capuchin Day Centre. I had the pleasure of meeting Brother Kevin, witnessing the immense work that he and his colleagues were doing and experiencing his great sense of humour. He will be sadly missed. When the idea of a housing tsar was announced some months ago, the question on everyone's lips was the same: what…

The Government seems to be content to express disappointment and say that the measures it is taking will have an effect. The reality for people across the country facing eviction is that there is no hope and no lifeline. The Minister said that increasing supply was the key priority. Of course it should be; that is right. Instead of seeing a ramping up of construction activity, though, we have seen…

-----a failure to act, a lethargy that leaves people in despair. People are telling us they have no hope of any prospect of owning-----

-----or even of being able to rent their own homes because there is so little out there. What is the Government offering now to people facing eviction?

No-----

When?

We talked about them.

Ireland has long and historic ties with the US. Some half a million Irish residents visited last year and more than 30 million Americans claim Irish heritage. However, increasingly an authoritarian Trump government is causing real concerns, in particular for those who are undocumented Irish in America. We think about 10,000 such people are there. This is placing a strain on the relationship. Last…

It seems this week we are seeing yet another screeching U-turn from the Government. After its recent U-turns on rent pressure zones and tax and spending priorities for this budget, this time the change of tack relates to the announcement by the Minister, James Lawless, on college fees. On Sunday, the Minister took to the national airwaves to say there would be what will amount to a massive hike in…

I listened carefully to what the Minister said but, with respect, it is a somewhat Alice in Wonderland approach for parents and students listening in because what I think he said was that people may think that this is an increase but really it is a reduction. That is not the reality. What people will feel in their pockets this year is that they will be paying an extra €1,000. That is the reality f…

I want to mark the sad passing of Jacqui Browne, who died yesterday. I had the pleasure of knowing and working with Jacqui as an activist on Thalidomide over many years and was very sad to hear the news. May she rest in peace. With its report today, Women’s Aid has highlighted the reality that we have an epidemic of violence against women in Ireland. We, of course, acknowledge that progress has b…

Of course, I entirely agree with the Minister that not all the solutions are through the criminal justice system. Of course, this is an issue for all of society to address. This is an endemic social issue. It is the survivors themselves who have told me about hearing that dismissive attitude. Unfortunately, it is all too prevalent not just in the criminal justice system, but throughout our society…