Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In January, when I addressed this House on the report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, I spoke of some of the dark moments in our country's history, in particular our treatment of women. Today, I address this House in what promises to be a brighter Ireland. The people have spoken, spoken clearly and spoken in large numbers and they have said "we care". The women I have spoken to since last Friday's historic step for our country feel that their fellow citizens have voted to tell them they are trusted, they are valued and they are equal. I am so proud of the Irish people. We have had a number of referenda to bring about social change in this country over the years. We have referenda on children's rights, divorce and marriage equality and now on the eighth amendment. Each and every time, the people of this country have seen through the scaremongering and voted with compassion and care to the fore. For me, this referendum was always about much more than just giving the Oireachtas the power to regulate termination of pregnancy. It was about shouldering our responsibilities and making sure that compassionate healthcare will be provided to women at home in Ireland at last. It was about women's rights. It was about respect. It is about consigning a misogynistic legacy to our country's history books. It is about maturing as a tolerant, non-judgmental and inclusive republic.

I acknowledge the unwavering work of so many women over so many years, some who had been working since 1983 and before then, in campaigning for this day to come. They worked so hard for so long. On occasions, they must have wondered whether the day would ever come. I acknowledge the work of women and men in other parties and groups here who have campaigned long and hard for this across many Dálaí. I acknowledge Deputy Clare Daly, who has been quite a legend in this area. It pained me as Minister for Health to come into this House and to not be able to accept the Bills she was putting forward because of the constitutional barrier that was the eighth amendment. I acknowledge that parties like the Labour Party and people within that party like Senator Ivana Bacik have been working on this issue for years - long before it was popular. I thank and commend the Oireachtas committee chaired by Senator Catherine Noone which worked on a cross-party basis and did not engage in this Punch-and-Judy partisanship where people shout at each other because they wear different jerseys and really just rolled up its sleeves and got down to tackling the issue. It has served our country well. Most particularly, I acknowledge the Together for Yes campaign, members of which I will be meeting today. It built an incredible coalition of compassion right across our country and fought so hard to deliver the result we got. I think of Termination for Medical Reasons. I think of the times I sat in rooms with its members and shared tears as they told their stories. They shaped my views and the views of so many who felt that we were adding to their cruel and painful tragedy by making them travel. I thank Amanda Mellet. I felt so inadequate as Minister for Health having to sit in a room with Amanda and her partner James and to only be able to say "I'm sorry". As a result of the bravery of people like Amanda, we can now take action in this country. I think of Savita, her parents and her husband. I thank her parents for speaking out. Our country has acted in a kind and compassionate way as a result of Savita's death and I hope her parents and family know this. I thank the medical leaders, particularly Dr. Peter Boylan and others who put their heads above the parapet only to be sneered at on occasion by opponents. Their bravery in providing expert clinical advice to our people is something for which I am very thankful. I thank lawyers like Fiona de Londras and others who came forward to explain why the eighth amendment was a real legal blot on our judicial landscape. I thank the media for providing factual information to people, covering this issue over a long period of time at Oireachtas committees and the Citizens' Assembly and providing fact checking, something that was very important in a referendum. When I voted last week, I thought of all these people but I also voted thinking of the women in my own life - my mum, my sister, my wife and others - who had to endure the vile posters with personalised attacks aimed at me and others across this country.

The people have spoken and now we need to get on with our job. I am eager to implement the will of the people without delay. I brought a memorandum to Cabinet this week and received approval to draft the Bill to regulate termination of pregnancy. This Bill will be in line with the Bill that was put before the people when they cast their votes last week. I thank the Opposition for engaging with me yesterday. It is so important that we continue to work in a bipartisan fashion. If we do that, we can get this Bill published through this House before the summer recess.

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