Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

This is an historic moment. I said on 3 December 2009 when I spoke on Second Stage that it was an historic day and one that was a long time coming. We have spent several months working on this difficult but very important legislation. The Bill we will pass in this House tonight is practical in that it gives concrete legal benefits to thousands of Irish citizens who are in committed loving relationships with partners of the same sex. However, it does a great deal more than that; it brings Ireland a step further along the road to equality. I indicated in my Second Stage speech that we are not there yet, that there are several steps to be taken to complete that journey and that hopefully we will be in a position in the not too distant future to put a referendum to the people in order to give true equality to same-sex couples so that they can avail not only of something that is analogous to the institution of marriage but avail of actual marriage.

As I indicated, there are other issues to be dealt with. We must see the social welfare provisions, and the Minister has given a commitment tonight that they will mirror those available to married couples. We need also to see the taxation provisions. In addition, we must address the issue of children. The debate on the referendum on children's rights, when that is put to the people, will offer the context in which that issue can be fully discussed.

I conclude by thanking the Minister, Deputy Dermot Ahern, which is something I do not do very often, as he will readily agree. He has approached this matter with a great degree of openness. He has afforded me personally the opportunities to participate fully when other duties kept me from working within the same timeframe as him. He has always been amenable to ensuring that the widest possible scrutiny and debate went into this ground-breaking legislation. For my part, and on behalf of my party, we are proud to have reached this point. I had the privilege of introducing two path-finding initiatives in this area by introducing legislation to introduce civil unions. We nearly got there, my Bill being passed by the House on Second Stage before being kicked to touch because the timeframe set for its passage was beyond the life of that particular Dáil. We have been waiting years for this Bill but we are here now. For many thousands of our citizens it is an acknowledgement of their true citizenship in this Republic. It shows a degree of maturity and a coming of age of the State. We need not congratulate ourselves too much because there is more work to be done, but this is a good day's work.

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