Ivana Bacik

Each year thousands of young Irish people work in the US on J-1 visas. I have done it myself, a happy summer in Boston many years ago. Generally, it is a very positive experience. However, things have changed drastically under US President Trump with the recent authoritarian announcement that students will have to hand over social media accounts. We are watching a major incursion on freedom of exp…

It is hugely concerning.

I give a warm welcome to the Little Blue Heroes who are with us in Leinster House today or watching online. I commend the gardaí involved in the organisation. I hope they have a pleasant day with us. This week, primary school children across the country will be released from school for their summer holidays. They will wave goodbye to teachers, SNAs and classrooms and put away their schoolbags and…

There is a consensus across housing charities that this would make a difference to families. For years, successive housing Ministers have delayed on this Bill.

When will the Government start treating child homelessness like the emergency it is?

First, I should reassure the Taoiseach and any school staff watching that of course I was using the word "released" in a somewhat tongue-in-cheek fashion. Our schools are generally very happy places, children are generally very happy to receive an education and we have excellent school staff across the country. On a more serious note, what I am hearing from the Taoiseach and his Government is not…

-----and the LDA and a State-----

-----construction company deliver homes again at the scale children in homelessness so desperately need.

I have a very straightforward question. We understand that this morning the Tánaiste brought to Cabinet an outline of the replacement occupied territories Bill. We understand it will operate by merely amending the Customs Act and it appears this will close the door on banning the importation of services that are enriching those profiteering from genocide at a time when we know that 70% of Ireland'…

Of Ireland's trade with Israel, I understand. Trócaire said it.

1. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the Labour Employer Economic Forum; and when it will next meet. [18694/25]

10. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [18695/25]

Last week on Wednesday, and again on Thursday, I and Deputy Sherlock raised on Leaders' Questions the scandal of abuse in nursing homes. We sought assurances from the Taoiseach on Wednesday and from the Tánaiste on Thursday in respect of protections against abuse. This week again we see more serious concerns raised, with HIQA's interim report released last night revealing to us that HIQA had heard…

On the safeguarding piece, we are not rushing into this. The Law Reform Commission published a report last year. Just two weeks ago, Safeguarding Ireland published a clear blueprint of pathways and necessary steps for the Government to take. During debates on nursing home care, I think the Minister of State with responsibility for older persons said the safeguarding Bill would be introduced in thi…

I understand the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, said that during the debate. We need clarity and a timeline, with respect, on the safeguarding legislation and, crucially, on the issue of HIQA powers. People are desperately seeking a clear pathway for making complaints, including a pathway to escalate a complaint. That is sadly lacking. As the Taoiseach rightly said, people are seeking a clea…

I raised short-term closures.

This question is for both the Taoiseach and the Minister for justice. It relates to the new RTÉ "Doc on One" series, Stolen Sister.

There is a new documentary podcast on RTÉ, which tells a very serious story about 23-year-old Elizabeth Plunkett from Ringsend who was murdered in 1976. She was a victim of Ireland's first serial killers, John Shaw and Geoffrey Evans, who acted in concert and also killed a second woman, Mary Duffy. Evans died in prison. Shaw was convicted of Mary Duffy's murder but was never convicted of Elizabeth…

The family in particular seek a cold case review by the Garda and legislative reform-----

-----to address the anomaly in the Parole Board Act.

I thank the Taoiseach.

After the general election, all the briefing from the Government was that it was ready to take what it called "difficult decisions" to fix this housing disaster. In recent weeks, it has certainly been difficult to watch this Government's chaotic decision-making - its U-turns, drip-feeds and hasty rewrites of flawed press releases. Undoubtedly, the Taoiseach and the Minister, Deputy Browne, have ma…

He made it sound like it was a "gotcha" moment for him.

It is hardly gotcha. Of course, we welcome decisions that are taken by the Government that we believe will fix the housing crisis. We support the extension of RPZs across the country, but not a hollowed out version of RPZs that offer no real protections for renters. This was not a gotcha moment for landlords because last week he gave them a generous nine months' notice of his mooted plans. The net…

People will gather to send a strong message to the Government. It is time for a radical reset of housing policy. No more incoherent policy changes. We need to see the radical reset the Housing Commission has called for because only the State has the deep pockets necessary to underwrite the construction of homes at the scale that is needed. The Government must scale up its effort and ambition, not …