Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome yesterday's news of a further drop in unemployment figures. The unemployment rate is now down to 10.1%, a dramatic fall over a number of years from the crisis peak of 15.1% when Fianna Fáil presided over the economic crash. This sustained fall in unemployment is very welcome. We have had a number of debates in this House on job creation but I ask that we have a further debate on the issue before the end of the session to review the progress of the Action Plan for Jobs and to look at the Government's target of achieving full employment by 2018, which no longer seems as over ambitious as it was accused of being originally. Certainly, the fall to 10.1% is very welcome and today there were more positive announcements concerning an investment by Microsoft and the opening of a new state-of-the-art facility by Glanbia in Kilkenny. It is wonderful to see the great progress being made on job creation and the falls in unemployment.

I also welcome the publication and passage of the Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill through this and the other House. This makes Ireland a leader in tackling the harm associated with tobacco. I commend the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Reilly and all the Members who supported that Bill. It received a large amount of support from across the political divide.

I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on mental health in the context of the review of mental health legislation that has been carried out by the expert group commissioned by the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch. The group reported today with 160 recommendations for changes to mental health law. I note that the Minister of State has said that she accepts the recommendations and hopes to see them brought forward through legislation amending the Mental Health Act later this year.We might have a debate on that issue again in this House. We have debated mental health and mental health legislation many times, but it would be good to have a debate in this House informed by the recommendations of this report, in particular by the recommendation that a human rights-based approach be taken.

I wish all colleagues a happy International Women's Day on 8 March. I commend all the events that are happening throughout the country for International Women's Day. I launched Trinity women's week on Monday to mark a programme of events for International Women's Day and around gender issues in Trinity College. I know that other institutions throughout the country are doing the same.