Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Moran has just spelled it out, from start to finish. The wording "transitional conditions" could have been expanded or squeezed back in. We have big problems here with accountability and responsibility when things happen and the lack of a commonsense approach. Mr. Moran spoke about the 36-month rule. That change can be made but, again, it will have to be through legislation. He has my head going at 100 miles an hour and asking how we would put in an amendment and when it would happen but, as he said, it has massive ramifications for so many people.

The Civil Service changed its attitude to same-sex couples long before the public did, and I am well aware of people who went into public service jobs because it was probably the safest place in which to work at that time, in the late seventies and up to the early eighties. I am a bit disappointed with the response Mr. Moran got from the Department of Social Protection telling him it is not that Department's fault. He got that refund in 1973. Is that correct?