David Norris (Independent)

I welcome the Minister to the House. We are fortunate in the State to have a man of his eminence and qualifications because it is unusual to have someone who is expertly qualified in law and also has a distinguished career in politics. It is good that we have someone of that background as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

The Minister rather unwisely invited us to trawl a little bit widely among the fleur du mal of the criminal system. I will take up that invitation because I was also invited on the Order of Business by the Leader of the House, Senator O'Rourke, to raise something I and Senator O'Toole raised yesterday. It is in the context of clerical child abuse. I invite the Minister urgently to consider a review of the equality legislation. When it went through the House certain exemptions were granted specific to the Roman Catholic Church to allow it to dismiss teachers on the basis of their lifestyle. People can be punished without any criminal activity.