Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

Tá an-áthas orm teacht isteach anseo. San am gairid atá agam, tabharfaidh mé tacaíocht don Bhille agus don bhfeachtas seo. I strongly support the proposal before the Dáil and the campaign for the ratification of civil unions as a recognised institution.

Judging by the letters, e-mails and telephone calls received by Deputies in recent days from gay and lesbian people when news emerged that this Bill was being tabled, there is no question of whether there is a sizable demand for it. Gay and lesbian people have needed to fight every inch of the way for the democratic rights they have won, such as they are. They must now fight again. Due to a demand from the community, I am supporting the Bill. When implemented in the not-too-distant future, I hope it will open a new era for gay, lesbian and bisexual people in our society, which can well be the case.

I want to refer to what Mr. Lech Kaczynski, the President of Poland, stated at yesterday's meeting of the National Forum on Europe when I challenged him about his suppression of the democratic rights of gay people in Warsaw when he was mayor of that city a number of years ago. I asked whether he had changed his view on the rights of gay people to express themselves freely through parading democratically in their society. His attitude and response, which comprised disgraceful comments, was a measure of how far we in Europe must go. In one sense, the comments can be put aside as the ravings of a right wing reactionary, but of more concern is that suggestions such as his could be taken seriously by other elements in society who would then inflict their bigotry in a physical and violent manner on gay people in this State, Poland or elsewhere. We must combat that strongly.

The entire community, Irish people and their representatives in Dáil Éireann should criticise and condemn unremittingly the attitude of the Polish Government, which harks back to the Ireland of the 1930s, 1940s or 1950s. In contrast to that, we look to a society where human beings, irrespective of their sexual orientation, views or gender, are allowed to live in an era of freedom, democracy and self-expression according to their feelings.

See this speech in context