Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for attending this debate. I thank Senator Norris for presenting this Bill and compliment him on having been to the fore regarding this issue throughout his public life. He has worked tirelessly on it and all of us, both gay and straight, owe him a great debt of gratitude for trying to ensure that we hold all citizens as equal before the law.

I understand that this Bill was the result of a cross-party effort, with Reid Professor Ivana Bacik doing much of the work, together with representatives of the ICCL and GLEN. I thank all these individuals. Last week Marie Mulholland and Chris Robson visited Leinster House and their contribution should not be forgotten in this debate. It is worth putting on record that many concerned and active citizens have been directly involved in the legislative process, not just professional politicians like ourselves.

The Taoiseach said, "These people who are in relationships which are not illegal, they're not immoral, they're not improper .... They say: 'We want more equality and we want to be treated fairer'." I agree with that view. Let me refer to the words uttered recently the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell. He stated the Dáil should pass legal reforms that formally recognise people who have entered into a civil partnership with each other regardless of their sexuality, and allow the surviving half of such partnerships to acquire next-of-kin status.

It is an absolute disgrace that the Government attempted to kill this Bill. I am thankful that circumstances have improved since this morning but believe the Government proposed to abuse its position and the institutions of the Oireachtas by using the All-Party Committee on the Constitution as a comfort blanket. I do not know if the Government's opposition to this Bill is borne out of indecisiveness or homophobia but it has let the House down in the way it has dealt with it today.