Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I extend my congratulations on behalf of the Labour Party group to Senators Maria Byrne and Horkan on their election. I also thank my party colleagues, Councillors Angela Feeney and Ciarán Ahern, who stood in the by-elections and represented the Labour Party so well.

I want to express solidarity with the Debenhams workers who were dragged out by gardaí in the middle of the night. I do not know if Senators saw the scenes but they were galling. I hope the Taoiseach and Tánaiste are horrified at what happened and I implore them to step in because dragging the workers out in the middle of the night is not how this situation should be resolved. I want those workers to know there is solidarity coming from this Chamber.

I note a motion against conversion therapy passed in the North. Senator Warfield's Bill on this issue which is co-sponsored by my colleague, Senator Bacik, is sitting ready to go. It is a very comprehensive Bill on conversion therapy and it is high time there was action. There has been talk with the Minister on banning conversion therapy but work has already been done and I see no reason to delay further.

I am concerned about the vaccine roll-out among those who are housebound. In my home area, there is a woman who is extremely distressed about her husband who is PEG fed and housebound. Absolutely no one - no GP or homecare nurse - can give her an answer about when he will get the vaccine. She is distressed out of her mind. This week, I was told at the health committee that in the next three weeks all those who are housebound will be covered. I raise this issue today as it is causing enormous concern among families who already face so many difficulties in their homes.

There is a family-friendly forum on how we make the Oireachtas family-friendly, and it is something we have discussed in both Houses. We found a work-around for a Minister who is pregnant but a work-around is not a solution. We need a long-term solution. There are people who work in both Houses who may have families or will have in the next few years, and others who have home care responsibilities. Their lives might have been turned upside down, something has come up and they need to be able to return home and take care of a family member. That family member could be elderly or sick, and currently there is no facility for those Members in either House to be supported to do so.I know from conversations I have had with some people that it is causing an enormous amount of distress. The only way to tackle it is for a person to make his or her situation public. For a number of people it is unreasonable to do that due to concerns around their privacy or that of the family member concerned. I hope everybody will make submissions to the family friendly forum. It is not only about maternity leave, it is also about care, family, being able to have a balanced life, take a step back when it is needed and to be supported in this workplace.