Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am hoping it will add up to seven minutes. I welcome the Taoiseach to the House on behalf of my colleagues in the Technical Group and my Labour Party colleagues. As he said, this is an auspicious date marking 70 years since we became a Republic. I am delighted that I will be sharing a platform with the Taoiseach later at the Royal Irish Academy. We might consider, as he has hinted previously, that we would make 18 April annually a Republic day. That would be fitting to mark that date.

In my brief four minutes I will raise four points that I believe are integral to the strengthening of our status as a Republic. First, the day after more horrific revelations about the treatment of women, children and babies in mother and baby homes, we have unfinished business to do in terms of separation of church and State, particularly in the fields of education and healthcare. I ask the Taoiseach to do more on that.

Second, on women's rights, we need to do more to increase the numbers of women in politics and to increase the representation of women in the Cabinet. That is something many of us were disappointed by on previous occasions. The next time the Taoiseach is reshuffling, he might think of that, especially the day after we had such a powerful address from the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, here in the Oireachtas.

In terms of gender equality, this year we need to delete the sexist language relating to women and mothers in Article 41 of the Constitution. One year after the historic repeal of the eighth amendment by a two thirds majority, we need to move forward urgently with legislation on exclusion zones to ensure women have safe access to the abortion and reproductive health services.

Third, on Brexit, all of us in this House, as in the other House, have co-operated with the Government's approach to Brexit with the swift passage of the omnibus Brexit Bill, but I ask the Taoiseach to consider the proposal made by my party leader, Deputy Howlin, yesterday when he suggested that Ireland should press for a five-year "flextension" - a terrible word - or extension for Britain.That would give the Houses of Parliament time to secure a resolution of the issue and to reach a deal. This would ensure time also for a second people's vote where we all would hope to see a reversal of the 2016 decision and also some reform of the EU, so that we can genuinely move forward to a more progressive social Europe.

As to our status as a republic this Government needs to do more on climate change. Here we really see that the future of our Republic is at stake. I was very proud to attend the school children's protest last month inspired by Greta Thunberg, with my 11 year old daughter and her friends, where it was so clear that for future generations in this Republic, this and future Governments need to do more to ensure that we tackle climate change in a real and practical way.