Alex White (Labour)

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on Second Stage of this hugely important and momentous legislation. As my colleagues, Senators Hannigan and Bacik, have indicated, the Labour Party enthusiastically supports the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations for Cohabitants Bill 2009. We will try to amend it in some areas and, while we can to some extent predict the Minister's response to our proposals, we will push them as strongly as we can. We hope to expand on the vital work done on this Bill with further legislation when the Labour Party is in Government.

I think this is the first time since I entered the Oireachtas three years ago that I have commended the Government on any issue but I am happy to congratulate it on bringing this legislation before the Houses. I also acknowledge the heavy lifting that was required from the Green Party in order to bring the matter to its present status.

When we discuss this Bill in more detail on Committee Stage, we should not forget that we are trying to improve the lives of individual citizens. We should, therefore, also congratulate the thousands of campaigners who have fought for this legislation. None of this would happened without people who were prepared to go to meetings, spend time on campaigns and work out how incremental change could be achieved. Perhaps some felt they were compromising themselves while others wanted to progress their goals without being seen as incrementalists but they made the same intelligent political decision as so many other figures in history by accepting this Bill as legislation that could be achieved and leaving for another day the fight to build something better. For that reason, I am delighted to be a Member of this House as this Bill comes before us.

I wish to respond briefly to the conceptual issues raised by Senator Mullen. He stated the legislation might find favour across the House if it had been drafted in a different way but he did not tell us what changes were required to meet his approval. It is not enough to say he could have supported the legislation if it was drafted in a different way. Perhaps if it was never introduced people would have felt comfortable. I have much more respect for people who say they do not agree with or believe in the legislation because they think it is wrong. I have no difficulty with people saying in Parliament that we should not have it or we should vote against it but what does it mean to say it should be drafted in a different way?

The legislation is not discriminatory. In regard to the so-called conscience clause, I have never come across such a contrivance masquerading as a basis for opposing legislation.