Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish the Ceann Comhairle and everyone here a happy International Women's Day. As women, today is our day to celebrate, to mark time in our struggle for equality and to remind ourselves of the importance of international solidarity. On International Women's Day I express my solidarity with the women of Ukraine, Palestine, Yemen, Syria, Cuba and Afghanistan, and with all of those women who struggle. We also need to acknowledge the struggles faced by trans women and to say here, unequivocally, that trans rights are human rights. We will not allow the floor of our Parliament to be used as some sort of bully pit for members of the trans community. I have heard it before. All of us have to take a zero tolerance approach to this. This has to be a safe space. Trans rights are human rights.

Today, I was delighted to host the workers and some of the volunteers from the Aoibhneas domestic abuse service. I know the Minister is very familiar with the organisation. We spoke about the challenges they face. It has been over a decade since the mostly-female workforce providing services in refuges and in the domestic violence sector have had a pay rise. In that time, landlords have had plenty of pay rises. The cost of living has skyrocketed. These workers need a joint labour committee, JLC. They are struggling to keep workers right across the board, but specifically in Dublin. These workers have built up a rapport and a relationship with the people they are helping. They need a JLC.

Time and time again, we see women, specifically those in one-parent families, left to bear the brunt of Government failures, particularly in housing. I want to read into the record an email I got from Steph, one of my constituents. She states:

Hi Louise I'm a single mother with 3 children ... my eviction date is May 1st i have tried since last September to find another house to rent in my location in swords but finding it so hard ... I'm on the council list 9 years. I have sent email upon email to different ... agencies but ... no reply back. My oldest Daughter is doing her leaving cert in June of this year and I'm worried this is going to affect her grades if we're are located in a homeless accommodation also i have sent in medical forms to the council since last October as my son has some additional needs to be told it will take 12 months ... To me this is not good enough. When I heard the eviction ban was to be lifted I cried with fear and worry ...

Perhaps the Minister might tell me what I can tell Steph. His fine words on International Women's Day ring very hollow when we see the impact of the Government's policies on real women whose lives are being destroyed, effectively, by the housing crisis.

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