David Norris (Independent)

I thank my colleague Senator O'Toole for raising the custody case. It is extremely important and it is a reproach to this House. We had the relevant Bill, prepared by myself and Senator Bacik, on the Order Paper for four years. It went into every committee. The Government raised questions and some of these questions have been now answered by the learned judge, Mr. Justice Hedigan, who stated — it is important to put this on record — that there was nothing in Irish law to suggest that a family of two women and an child "has any lesser right to be recognised as a de facto family than a family composed of a man and woman unmarried to each other". The judge stressed the absence of any provisions securing the rights of this de facto family under article 8 securing the rights——