Bríd Smith criticises eviction lift on International Women's Day
Bríd Smith challenged the Taoiseach over the decision to lift the eviction ban the day after a referendum was announced to remove the phrase that a woman's place is in the home. She said the timing was deeply ironic and warned thousands of women and children would be denied the right to remain in their homes.
Main criticism
Bríd Smith addressed the Taoiseach on International Women's Day, saying the announcement of a November referendum to remove the insulting constitutional phrase must be seen in the light of the government lifting the eviction ban the following day. She told members that anyone who heard the Morning Ireland interview or saw primetime would be ashamed at how the country could treat women.
Impact on women and children
Smith warned that lifting the eviction ban would leave thousands of women with children with nowhere to go and framed the move as denying women the right to be in their homes. She pressed the Taoiseach to justify announcing constitutional change on equality while allowing evictions immediately afterwards.
Taoiseach's response
The Taoiseach replied that the referendum is intended to modernise the constitution and argued homelessness affects men and women alike, noting there are more men who are homeless than women. He said homelessness is a stain on society and should be acknowledged as not solely a gender issue.
Housing and returnees cited
The Taoiseach suggested some vacant homes could be occupied by women returning from abroad, giving examples of nurses returning from Australia and doctors returning from Dubai, and said many properties would go to first-time buyers. He added that roughly half of first-time buyers are women and that there are two sides to the gender impact of the policy.
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Taoiseach, much and always welcome on International Women's Day. The announcement of the referendum in November on equality issues has to have a deep irony contained in it, that you announced today that we will remove a referendum to remove from the constitution the insulting condition that a woman's place is in the home. The day after, you lift the eviction ban and deny thousands of women the right to be in their home. Anybody who listened to that interview on Morning Ireland this morning or saw primetime last night and was not utterly ashamed of this country that we are living in, that could do that to women, on International Women's Day, the announcement is highly ironic and you have to justify that. How do you on the one hand say, we are going to remove insulting remarks in the constitution and on the other, we are going to allow evictions to remove you from your home? With nowhere to go for thousands of women with children. Thank you Deputy Smith, Taoiseach. Thanks Deputy, I would see it differently. The decision that we have made is to have a referendum to modernise our constitution. When it comes to homelessness, homelessness is something that affects men and women alike. In fact, there are more men who are homeless than there are women. It is something that affects men and women alike. It affects younger people and older people. It affects people from all sorts of walks of life. It is very much a stain in our society. It is not simply a gender issue. I think that should be acknowledged. It is important to bear in mind that in some cases you will see women moving into these homes when they become vacant. There are women who are coming back from abroad, nurses coming back from Australia, for example, and doctors coming back from Dubai or other places who will be able to move back into their own homes. That is currently not possible. We will also see a lot of these properties going to first-time buyers. Roughly half first-time buyers are women, too. There are two sides to this from a gender point of view. Is it possible? Thank you. Thank you, Chief. Thank you, Chief. We will also see a lot of these properties going to first-time buyers, and roughly half first-time buyers are women, too. There are two sides to this from a gender point of view. from a gender point of view.
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