John Lyons (Dublin North West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Labour Party was the first to have an LGBT sector on the island of Ireland and we have a very strong track record on issues of equality, standing when other people did not want to voice such issues. The facts speak for themselves on this but it is not the issue being discussed. I am a very proud member of the Labour Party because of our strong track record on equality issues. It is why I am a member of the Labour Party. I am glad to see the pushing, shoving and shouting when other people were telling us not to knock on their doors because we were speaking about things which should not be spoken of has moved to a stage whereby we have cross-party agreement on such an important social issue and that such a change has happened over 20 years.

As a man who is gay, or a gay man, or whatever one wants to call me - I would prefer just to be me - I am very proud to be here and I am particularly proud we have seen such social advancement whereby we are debating in the House the actuality of a referendum on same-sex marriage in 2015. Recently I visited St. Kevin's College in Ballygall. The sixth year in the boys' secondary school invited me as part of a project on same-sex marriage. I thought it was fantastic a group of 18 and 19 year old boys were speaking about same-sex marriage and that they invited me. When I explained the reason we will have a referendum on same-sex marriage they could not believe we needed it. They could not believe we live in a bizarre society which for too many years has decided to relegate constitutionally a sector of society purely based on sexuality and not afford all the constitutional rights every other person has to gay and lesbian people. They were dumbfounded. This dumbfoundedness of the young people was also found in the overwhelming 79% of people in the Constitutional Convention who believe we should have a referendum on same-sex marriage. This has been mirrored in subsequent polls and was higher in a Red C poll.

A sector of society has been left out and the time has come to stop leaving them out because of their sexuality. It is time to bring them in. I believe the Irish people, as the Minister stated, are pretty much ahead of the Legislature on this issue. Anybody I speak to does not understand why we do not have same-sex marriage. Given conditions being the way they are, in 2015 a majority of people will support it because they have brothers, sisters and parents who are gay. We are speaking about real people. Sometimes people think this is an abstract debate. The real people we are speaking about are me, Deputy Jerry Buttimer and many of those in the Visitors Gallery. Some of them have children and they are forgotten about. We have a chance to put it right and to state we value every citizen of the country regardless of their sexuality. The only institution in society of which I am aware which treats gay and lesbian people as second-class citizens is civil marriage. As a state, we will have an opportunity in 2015.

I commend every person, from all parties and none, and from NGOs such as the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network, GLEN, and Marriage Equality who are present this evening, for the Trojan work done for years on end. I believe the people will come with us on this. I believe they will not let people down and that is what this is about. It is an issue of equality and nothing else. The sky will not fall in. If anything, the sky will be a little brighter after 2015.

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