Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank colleagues across the House for their support last night for the Labour Party Private Members' Bill on education and commend my colleague, Senator Ó Ríordáin, who initiated it. We took it through Committee Stage without opposition last night and I look forward to working with the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy McHugh, and colleagues to ensure it is passed. We are happy to discuss amendments and so on in the meantime.

I am concerned about reports of developments in northern Syria and the Turkish offensive against the Kurdish forces there, heralding what has the dreadful potential to be a real humanitarian catastrophe not only for Kurdish civilians and forces but also for Syrians living in the area. The effect of President Trump's unilateral withdrawal of US forces has left the way open not only for the Turkish offensive but also for the awful prospect of a return of ISIS to the area. I have raised the issue of Syria many times in this House and at the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence, of which I am a member, but I ask that we might have a debate with the Tánaiste. The Security Council is meeting today to see what intervention can be made to have an impact on Turkey. I ask that the Tánaiste come to the House in due course to debate this matter in order that we might hear from him how Ireland can bring pressure to bear on Turkey and the US, particularly since the withdrawal of US troops clearly paved the way for this development.

I ask that we have a debate on safe access for those seeking health services, particularly those relating to termination of pregnancy. Some of us met the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, some two weeks ago to discuss how best to ensure that women seeking access to abortion will have safe access and will not be pressurised or intimidated on their way in and that neither will staff going into clinics or hospitals. This is in the context of reports about protests. I am glad that we have received correspondence from the Minister today indicating that he is setting up a consultation process to establish what is needed in order to ensure safe access for women and others seeking to access hospitals and, furthermore, that the Garda Commissioner has notified gardaí to be more proactive in the context of putting in place measures to ensure safe access. Some of us, including myself, had called for legislation on this but I am happy to work with the Minister in a constructive spirit to ensure that women have access to termination of pregnancy in a safe and unobstructed manner and that all those who seek to enter hospitals must not have to run the gauntlet of intimidatory protests on their way. I just seek to reaffirm the commitment. I know the Minister will meet all of us in the near future.

We will hear reports later today of the meeting between the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister. Many of us have grave concerns that this meeting is being set up by the Prime Minister as a fig leaf and as part of a set-up in a blame game that he may use to lay responsibility for the collapse of the talks on Brexit on others. There is real concern across the House. We have seen the President Johnson and his advisers seeking to blame anyone but Boris for what may develop into a no deal situation or the breakdown of any negotiations. He sought to blame Chancellor Merkel earlier in the week and many of us are concerned that he is now seeking to blame Ireland. The Taoiseach and all of us must be mindful of that and stand against it. The Taoiseach is correct in stating that we will all work towards a deal but not at any cost.