Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I will speak about the work being done in my Department since this Government took office in 2020 and why I have confidence in this Government. We are making significant strides across all areas of the Department, responding to major challenges throughout. We are in the midst of the largest humanitarian crisis the State has ever faced and one year into the war it is easy to forget that. However, since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, my Department has accommodated more than 80,000 people, coming from a base where we were accommodating 8,000. We are still facing very real challenges, but when we look back on the war and the upheaval in Ukraine, in Afghanistan and elsewhere, as a country, we will be able to say we met our obligations and lived our values.

As a Green Party Minister in this Government, I have prioritised supports for our youngest citizens. We are now investing more than €1 billion per year in childcare, four to five years ahead of a target set by previous Governments. We have increased pay for childcare staff and investment in childcare services, doubled the number of children accessing the national childcare scheme and, at the same time, we have substantially decreased the cost of childcare for parents.

We are delivering on equality. Later this evening, the Dáil will vote on the final stages of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill, providing parents with more time with their children, more flexible working options and more leave for medical emergencies and crucially, the Bill will make Ireland one of the first countries in Europe to introduce a statutory entitlement to paid domestic violence leave.

I know the housing situation remains profoundly difficult, but progress is being made. Housing completions are up 40% on 2019. We are providing more social homes than any Government in decades and we are delivering on a long-time Green Party policy of cost rental, which will provide a completely new model of affordable rental to thousands.

Much has been done in the past three years. Adopted people finally have a right of access to their birth certificates. Mams and dads have the right to an extra five weeks paid parent's leave and we have halved public transport costs for young people. This is why I will be voting confidence in this Government.

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