Geraldine Feeney (Fianna Fail)

There is a name for people like me. I shouted back that of all the Ministers he is one who cannot be got at.

The Minister will go down in history and history will be very kind to him. Future generations will look back at today's debate as we have looked back at the debate on the Health (Family Planning)(Amendment) Act in 1985 when Des O'Malley, the father of the Senator sitting beside me, lost the whip in my party for voting against the party. When my children ask me what type of a country we lived in then, I wonder the same thing. However, we accepted it and we got on with it. In the same way, in 1993 the then Minister, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, went down in history for all the right reasons for decriminalising homosexuality. We also had the divorce referendum.

Last year, during the discussions on the Lisbon treaty referendum, the waters were muddied with statements that the sky would fall in and hell would freeze over before any of it would go through and that abortion would come in the back door. It frightens me to think there are people who would introduce red herrings such as these to keep good legislation, as we have today, out of our State. It also hurts and frightens me to hear someone stand in the Chamber I share and talk about children of a family with two parents doing far better than in any other arrangement. It hurts me because through no fault of my own I have reared my family on my own. The thought entered my head that equality is great and everyone is equal but that some are more equal than others. It is a shame on the mind that can stand and say that. I almost feel bad for saying that because I respect the views of others and the views echoed here today that differ from mine have a right to be heard and I respect that right. However, I feel slighted because I worked very hard for the past 12 years rearing children, like thousands of other people, whether they are widowed, like me, or separated. Nevertheless, because we do not fit into the norm of a family as seen by other people, we are told our children do not do so as well. I am proud of my four children whom I have reared according to the motto, "Live and let live". In values they have been reared in the Catholic Church. They are not all churchgoers and I, too, am hit and miss when it comes to the church. However, I am a believer. I believe in God and have a faith. In recent days I have been told by people who oppose the Bill that I will have to meet my God on judgment day, to which I have responded that I will, and I hope God will look at me for the kind of work I am doing. I do not say I am right on everything. I hold my hands up; I am rarely right. However, regarding this Bill I know I am fundamentally right and as a republican I know I am doing the right thing for society.

If there is one thing I should say it is that I am glad the Bill is with us today. My maiden speech in the House eight years ago was on a Private Member's Bill introduced by Senator Norris. I was a nervous speaker in those days and probably still am a little nervous-----