Joe O'Toole (Independent)

We must consider where we are going.

I welcome the points made by Senator Fitzgerald on the Civil Partnership Bill. It is important that it has been passed by the Dáil and I look forward to it being brought before us next week. However, the bishops have a right to express their view. As a public representative, I welcome the views of any group, whether it be bishops or penitents, what they have to say and defend their right to express their view. We should engage and deal with them. However, the members of the group outside the gates seem to be urban guerrillas working in support of the same point of view. They are completely vicious, aggressive, nasty and totally preoccupied by the sexual habits in bed of gay people and various others issues that have been raised time and again. This is unacceptable. There is not an iota of humanity or Christianity among them.