David Norris (Independent)

It is idiotic, contemptible and inhumane and it does not redress this human situation. Moreover, if we are interested in the rights of the child, why then do we not listen to what the children affected are saying? There have been a number of marvellous, courageous and splendid interviews on radio, television and in the newspapers by these children who want to know why we do not recognise their relationships with their parents. If one wants to know whether the shoe pinches, one asks the foot, not the shoe. In this case, the foot is being ignored. There is a strong argument for this provision on the basis of what the children who are already in this situation are saying. It is idiotic that same sex parents can individually adopt a child and that the non-adopting parent is not permitted to have a legal relationship with the child. That is farcical. It is the result of cowardice on the part of the Government which refuses to face up to what is essentially sectarian and religious prejudice and hypocrisy.

With regard to the domestic partnership law, this is a blatant flaw. This was made obvious during the briefing session. The British amended their adoption legislation before introducing their civil partnership legislation. In light of the fact that we have produced a civil partnership Bill with this glaring lacuna, it would seem obvious that this situation should be addressed at this point. A recent survey indicated that 62% of the people have no difficulty whatever with recognition of full civil marriage for gay people which would automatically confer on them the right to adopt. Why is this Government intimidated by a few backwoods people? Why not get on with the job and do it with some little remaining degree of vision? I call on the Government to do this in the light of the clearly expressed views of the people which have vindicated people like me who have always said the Irish are decent, tolerant, compassionate, understanding, and not at the blatant level of idiocy and hypocrisy that we see in this neglect of the welfare of children. It calls into question that ceremony in the Mansion House, out of which I am very sorry I did not walk, where we trumpeted our succession to the ideals of 1916 and the Dáil of 1919 and recited yet again this notion of equality for children. No religious prejudice or preconception should ever be allowed to take precedence over the rights of children.

It was a proud day for me when I sat in this Chamber and heard a Fianna Fáil Minister, Máire Geoghegan Quinn, say she would need a clear, cogent and factual reason to introduce discrimination against any Irish citizen. That was a proud day for democracy and I was thrilled when I heard it. I would like a bit of action on the fine rhetoric that emerged from the former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, when he said there was absolutely no justification whatever in law for disadvantaging any Irish citizen on the basis of sexual orientation.

With regard to capacity I read with interest that there was evidence given by a person in that case who presumed to give evidence, who had no qualification whatever, had never published any research, who, when I said that in the House had the impertinence to write to the Cathaoirleach to complain. How dare those people stick their noses into an area where they have no competence whatever.