Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Guím Lá Idirnáisiúnta na mBan sona ar gach éinne sa Teach. Is iad ár leanaí todhchaí na tíre seo, ach ní féidir leis na hoibrithe a thugann cúnamh agus oideachas dár leanaí óga tithíocht a choimeád de bharr a bpá íseal agus an cosc a stop an Rialtas inné. Níl aon áit ar fáil do go leor leanaí i gceantair áirithe agus tá an iomarca airgid á íoc ag tuismitheoirí atá ag streachailt cheana féin.

Today, on International Women's Day, I welcome the announcement that a referendum on gender equality will be held in November. It is something I have worked on for a long time. As Chairperson of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Gender Equality, I look forward to campaigning to bring the Constitution into the 21st century, to delete the sexist language around women and mothers, to replace it with gender-neutral language recognising care, and to see an inclusive definition of family introduced. We will welcome these changes, and we in the Labour Party look forward to campaigning and playing a leading role to ensure they are made.

Today I want to raise two related feminist issues: housing and childcare. While we need to insert recognition of care into the Constitution, we need to ensure care policies do not work against women in this country today. An experience of a young woman, a constituent in contact with my office, illustrates how current Government policy on housing and care is failing her and her family. She and her partner welcomed a baby boy into their lives a year ago, which was wonderful news. However, as renters, they are being failed by the State's housing policy, and as young parents they are being failed by the State's childcare policy. They are faced with dire insecurity of tenure and are forced to stand in queues to seek a decent home for themselves and their child. The cost of childcare means they do not even know if she will be able to return to work because they cannot find a childcare facility with space near to where they currently live. At her local breastfeeding group, she was told she should have put her son on a childcare waiting list when she was still pregnant. Because they are renting with no security of tenure, when the current eviction ban lifts, which the Taoiseach's Government shamefully refused to extend yesterday, they do not know where they will live so they cannot put their names on a local waiting list. This Government is letting down this young woman and her family.

On International Women's Day, I want to know what the Government proposes to do to ensure protection for my constituent, her partner and child, and for all of the families in their situation. Will the Government reinstate the eviction ban and move meaningfully towards a universal system of affordable childcare for all? In addition to the welcome referendum on gender equality, will the Government commit to holding a referendum on housing to ensure we see a right to a home within the text of our Constitution, our Bunreacht na hÉireann?

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