I add my voice of support to Nikita Hand. She has shown the most incredible resiliency throughout the past several years. It is amazing to see someone put themselves forward so vulnerably and push progress along when it comes to what people understand about sexual violence and what it does to an individual.

This week, new research from the National Youth Council of Ireland found that nearly seven out of ten young people are considering moving abroad for a better quality of life. While these figures are not necessarily surprising, they are an indictment of the Government. Young people in Ireland have been continuously failed by the State. They have been hung out to dry by the failed housing policies of successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments. They have been ripped off by record rent prices, which are among the highest in Europe. They are priced out of affording their own home by foreign investment and vulture funds, leaving record numbers still stuck in their childhood bedrooms having to put independence on hold.

It is not an entire surprise that people leave. We have had generations of young people leave. People left after the 2008 crisis and during the eighties. However, we are now a wealthy country doing well and the fact that another generation of people feel forced to leave because they cannot have a good quality of life is horrific. The Government needs to wake up to this reality. The social contract is broken for many young people, many of whom missed out on key milestones and experiences, particularly during the pandemic. They do not have proper university life any more when they are commuting several hours to their college.

Year on year, housing and affordability are the main concerns that come out of the research by the National Youth Council of Ireland. This year, there were also rising concerns about employment. Nine out of ten young adults said it is harder to find secure, well-paid work. We are seeing a shift in the labour market, with the proliferation of AI disrupting traditional entry routes and early career roles in the job market. It is young people who are at the coalface of this challenge because decent entry-level jobs are dwindling, which makes it even more difficult to afford rent and move out of home. Instead of increasing public transport opportunities and having progressive policy, we are increasing public transport fares. We are removing protections for renters and we are failing to support young people with the crippling cost of living.

We have all these record tax receipts, which is fantastic, but we cannot provide basic public services and a decent standard of living for our young people. People need affordable housing and decent paying jobs. It is hardly a lot to ask for when we consider how wealthy our society apparently is. We are failing the next generation. They feel they have no future here. We must treat this like the crisis it is.