Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)

As others have done, I wish to utter words of condemnation of Russia as we see its brutal escalation of its war on Ukraine. In last night's horrific attack there were 25 casualties, as we are hearing. This is yet another indication of Russia's brutality, following on from what is going to be four years next February since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. All of us stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

Since we elected our new MEP for Labour last summer, Aodhán Ó Riordáin, the Labour Party has been working ever more closely through the Party of European Socialists with our European allies on a programme for change across Europe, and in particular on issues around housing, climate action and our vision for a social Europe. I attended the Party of European Socialists' summit in Amsterdam just last month, where we developed policies and a programme for change, in particular focusing on those issues of housing and climate.

On housing, we were really glad following the last European elections to see the Party of European Socialists and S&D group in the parliament focus on seeking action at Europe-wide level to tackle the housing crisis. There is now a special committee on housing, and Aodhán is the S&D group rapporteur on that. For the first time, there is now a housing Commissioner at EU level, which the Minister is well-aware of, in Dan Jørgensen, the Commissioner for energy and housing. A key priority is to ensure we can see reform of state aid rules in order that homes can be built at the scale so badly needed through the deployment of state investment. We have called for a common housing policy, just as we have a Common Agricultural Policy. We must now see Europe-wide action to tackle housing and ensure better levels of state intervention.

We must also work together across the EU on climate. COP talks under way in Brazil have really illustrated the strength of the EU as a bloc pushing for stronger action on climate. It is not just stronger action to tackle climate change for its own sake, because through a just transition we can also see a new green industrial revolution and the creation of hundreds of thousands of new jobs through the roll-out of wind energy and solar power through emerging technologies. I welcome the appointment of a socialist commissioner, Teresa Ribera, who is now the Commissioner for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition. She is pushing hard at EU level for change on climate.

In the Taoiseach’s speech to us earlier, he spoke about action at EU level on Israel and Palestine. I reiterate how disappointed most people in Ireland were at the lack of action taken by the EU to ensure accountability by Israel for its brutal genocide on the people of Gaza. There are clear steps the EU can and should take, even at this late stage, such as the suspension in full of the EU-Israel association agreement, tougher trade sanctions and a complete arms embargo, in particular. In Ireland, of course, we can and should be passing the occupied territories Bill in full to cover trade and services by Christmas. It is instructive that the Government did not see fit to oppose the Opposition motion that was passed earlier in this House, and in doing so, it has signed up again to passage of the Bill. We in the Opposition will continue to hold the Government to account on that.

On workers' rights and the adequate minimum wage directive, just last week, the European Court of Justice issued its judgment upholding the EU directive. This was nothing short of a landmark moment for workers' rights and I welcome it. Fair pay is at the heart of the European social model, the model that we, the S&D group and the Party of European Socialists have been pushing for. We have also been pushing for formal, statutory recognition of collective bargaining. We need to see decisive measures to accompany that to expand collective bargaining coverage and improve rights for those who are members of unions. We welcome the fact the Government finally published its collective bargaining action plan earlier this month, but the Government will be judged by the concrete actions it takes. Here in Ireland, just four in ten workers are covered by collective agreements. This is far below the EU average and just half the 80% benchmark required by the directive. What concrete steps will the Government be taking to ensure we close the gap to the threshold and see that directive implemented in full?

On the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, there are huge concerns about the damage it risks to our climate commitments and the livelihoods of farmers and, of course, about the well-documented potential for abuses of workers and human rights. Did the Taoiseach make opposition on these grounds clear at the European Council? Is the Government working with like-minded member states to ensure that this deal does not proceed at this late stage?

See this speech in context