Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)

I welcome the Bill and intend to support it, as it goes a significant way towards recognising, acknowledging and providing for same-sex couples in law. I see the Bill as positive, clear-cut and practical and its enactment would make a significant difference in areas such as parental rights, property rights and even the right to visit a sick partner in hospital.

The Bill's passage to Committee Stage depends on the attitude of Government. Last night, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform minced no words when he rubbished the Bill as being poorly drafted and an exercise in grandstanding. Ironically, he knows better than most how easy it is to remedy such flaws, having had no difficulty last year in introducing a Garda Bill of skeletal proportions, tabling hundreds of amendments in a matter of days and imposing a guillotine to prevent a discussion on the amendments. If he was truly the Minister for equality, he would be actively looking for a way to allow this Bill to commence Committee Stage, but it seems that the Minister is only enthusiastic about introducing laws that restrict rights and row back on civil liberties. He is far from radical and is all but redundant as a Minister for equality.

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