Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Much and all as the announcement of the referendum on equality issues, which is to be held in November, is welcome on International Women's Day, there is a deep irony in the fact that the Government announced earlier today a referendum to remove from the Constitution the insulting provision to the effect that a woman's place is in the home is also to be held. This announcement comes a day after the Government lifted the eviction ban thereby denying thousands of women the right to be in their homes. Anybody who listened to the interview on "Morning Ireland" this morning or saw the "Prime Time" programme last night should be utterly ashamed of the fact that the county we live in could do that to women. It is highly ironic that the announcement in this regard has been made on International Women's Day. The Taoiseach has to justify what has happened. How can he say on the one hand that the Government is going to remove insulting words from the Constitution but that, on the other, it is going to allow evictions to remove people from their homes. Thousands of some with children have nowhere to go.

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