Ivana Bacik is the leader of the Labour Party and a TD for Dublin Bay South since 2021. She was Deputy Leader of the Seanad between 2011 and 2016. She was also a prominent activist in the 'Repeal the Eighth' and Marriage Equality campaigns. Prior to her election to the Dáil, she taught Criminal Law and Criminology at TCD.

All my life, I’ve campaigned for change. I started off in politics as a student activist when I was taken to court and threatened with prison for giving information on abortion to women in crisis pregnancy, long before we repealed the 8th. Since my election by the people of Dublin Bay South in 2021, I have worked constructively with the local community to press for the changes that are still needed. I want to continue that work – to build affordable homes and protect renters; to take climate action, cutting emissions and household bills; to advocate for the human rights of everyone; and to protect and expand public services.

Housing is the civil rights issue of this generation. Nearly half of all homes in Dublin Bay South are rented on the private market and house prices are through the roof. We need to establish a state construction company to deliver an ambitious programme of social and affordable homes, to legislate to give renters a host of new legal protections, and to tackle the scourge of vacancy and dereliction. This general election presents an opportunity to transform our society in other ways too. Healthcare policy, climate action, accessible and safe transport, the cost of living, workers’ rights and public services all spring to mind.

The first law I introduced as a newly-elected TD in 2021 was Labour’s Renters Rights Bill – to ensure renters are given proper legal protections from eviction, in particular. If I am re-elected to the 34th Dáil, I won’t stop speaking about housing. However, I am proud of my record as a public representative who has worked constructively and effectively on a wide range of issues, from housing to LGBTQ rights, and from supporting the Occupied Territories Bill to advocating equal access to abortion and my bill to provide paid leave to women who suffer pregnancy loss.