Rebecca Moynihan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Like Senator O’Reilly, I would like to remind Senator Mullen we had a referendum and its outcome very clearly showed the women and people of Ireland wanted people to have access to have safe, legal, local abortion in Ireland. I was disappointed that in the discussion at the Joint Committee on Health today the Minister indicated the policy of the Act would not be reviewed only the operations of the Act. The operations of abortion rights are always contested worldwide. I certainly do not think the women of Ireland will be happy that women are being left behind. We fought for the rights of women in the North and will continue to fight for them and for the women who are travelling and being left behind by the operation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. People will not be happy that the review will be simply limited to the operations of the Act.

I want to raise with the Deputy Leader the issue of a housing co-operative and housing supply in Dún Laoghaire. Last week, councillors in Dún Laoghaire got word that a contractor has pulled out of a contract to build 42 houses. Under the model of housing co-operatives, eight people were due to buy those houses as well as a housing association, Co-Operative Housing Ireland, which is taking over the other units. It is very disappointing at this late stage when the contractor was meant to be turning sod and to be on-site before Christmas that it has pulled out. This is a problem. It is important to have a debate on housing. Targets are set in Rebuilding Ireland. If we cannot get a contractor to build a simple development of 42 housing units in Dún Laoghaire that has been planned and worked on for three years, I do not know how the housing targets that have been set to address our housing crisis will be met.

I want to raise an local issue. Over the weekend the Dublin Flea Market announced it was closing and ceasing operations. I have known about this for a number of months having worked with those involved in it alongside Councillor Claire Byrne to try to find a place for it operate, but it is still very disappointing. Not only did the flea market have a place for Dubliners to come and pull together, it provided an essential microenterprise space for people to chance their arm and set up a business. Many successful businesses have grown from the flea market. As somebody who comes from Newmarket in Dublin 8 and attended the flea market for many years from when it first started in the depths of the recession, it is very disappointing we could not find a solution and a space for it. The loss of market spaces to the city is great. I particularly want to mention Sharon Greene who was driving force behind it. I express my thanks to Sharon, Aisling, Luca and Dave for all they created in the ten years we have had the Dublin Flea Market.