Mary Henry (Independent)

When one looks at the list of Acts which have been repealed one sees how important the legislation is and the Minister and her officials deserve great praise in regard to it. Naturally, like Senator McCarthy, there are also things I would like changed. I was sorry that ethical bodies such as the Association of Irish Humanists were left out along the way as solemnisers of marriage. I never worked out why they were put to one side because they seemed to think they would get in there.

The Minister clarified an enormous amount in the debate. I am still not sure, because the Minister said she did not know at the end of Committee Stage, why the particulars of marriage are not entered in the Bill in the First Schedule. I suppose those are things that we will understand in time. I congratulate the Minister and her officials on this enormous body of work in straightening out and clarifying for us many difficult areas.

As the Minister said, we gave her questions to bring to other colleagues as they did not fall within her area of responsibility. I look forward to hearing from the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in the near future.