I am grateful for the opportunity to speak here today to mark International Women's Day. It is one of the greatest honours of my life to be elected as a TD, a position that was in the past, and even today remains, a male dominated one. To stand here among such brilliant republican women who represent their communities with such strength and integrity is something I am immensely proud of. However, while we celebrate the presence of these incredible women, we must be honest about the realities we still face. Despite making up half the population women account for just 25% of TDs in the Dáil. International Women's Day is not only a day to celebrate what has been achieved but it is a day to reflect on what has to be done. While so much has been achieved, there is so much more to be done. We know we must not measure progress solely by the women who rise to the top of their fields. True progress means that as we rise, we rise together. We must not leave other women behind, especially those who are too often overlooked. Let us look at the recent controversy caused by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s plan to cut SNA posts in schools across the State. Over 90% of SNAs are women, many of them working with zero long-term job security and left on rolling 12-month contracts. Despite everything they contribute to our children, schools and communities, they are still fighting for basic workers' rights. The Minister should be working to improve their conditions and not chipping away at them. These women deserve security, respect and recognition. The same can be said for carers. As everyone here knows, the work that family carers do in communities across Ireland is vital. The pressure they take off our health service cannot be measured in words alone. In so many cases, it is the mother in a family who gives up her job to become a full-time carer, caring for the elderly or those living with disabilities, for loved ones who need support to live with dignity and independence. This work is nothing short of extraordinary, yet it remains largely invisible to those in Government. Let us not forget that it was for working women like SNAs and carers that International Women’s Day first came into being. It began as a day of action, a day to demand better working rights, conditions and as a day for those who too often are ignored. I congratulate St. Kieran’s College on its well-deserved win yesterday in Croke Park. However, when it was the girls in Loreto Kilkenny who won their final, they did not have the same luxury of playing in Croke Park. Today as we pay tribute to the Irish women reaching for the stars, the likes of Jessie Buckley or Kilkenny’s own Mia Griffin, one of the first Irish women to take part in the Tour de France, let us reflect on what has been gained and the fights that have yet to be won.

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