Ivana Bacik (Independent)

I am glad the Minister of State supports the principle that children are entitled to a loving family of whatever form. I should have declared an interest in that I am serving as junior counsel in the Zappone-Gilligan case, which has not yet been heard by the Supreme Court. This will be the first occasion on which this issue, namely the definition of marriage and whether marriage is confined to a man and a woman, will be put before the Supreme Court. The latter has not yet resolved the issue in a case in which it has been directly in point.

It should be remembered there are already many gay couples with children in Ireland. In the interests of those children, we should be introducing some form of legislation to regularise their position vis-À-vis their own parents.