Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

Today is a historic day as the civil partnership Bill will be introduced into this House, having been passed in the Dáil. It is, as we know, on the cusp of becoming law. The full and positive impact of this long-overdue legislation was summed up for me by a young man I met in the House after the Bill was passed in the Dáil, a young man in his early 20s who, unprompted, said to me: "This Bill will change my life". That sums up the personal impact this type of legislation will have on those it affects most profoundly.

In Fine Gael we have had our own democratic debate on this legislation and we will be supporting it in the House today. There are obviously widely held views on it. It is a mark of a civilised society how widely views are held. Our debate today will be a testament to and a reflection of that.

I want to speak on an issue, about which many people will gather before the gates of Leinster House today-----