Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein)

I hope the Government will take up the mantle on this issue.

I affirm my support for this legislation today. I lament the fact that it had fallen down coming up to the general election and I welcome that it is back on the agenda, albeit a few months later.

It is progressive legislation, but it is legislation that seeks to right a wrong and end an injustice. The principles behind this Bill are not new. Senator O'Brien spoke about republicanism. The principles behind this legislation were enshrined in the 1916 Proclamation and it is our responsibility to make good that vision of a republic that guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all, not the majority, of its citizens.

Sinn Féin has long advocated for full legislative equality for lesbians and gay men. While civil partnership did not go far enough, my party was happy to support it as another marker in the journey to realise the rights of all citizens regardless of sexual orientation. Civil partnerships, although not providing full equality, provide for important rights such as inheritance, adoption, visitation and residency.

Today, we are dealing with some of the outstanding issues arising from the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010, and this is another step forward.

The Bill, as was previously mentioned, seeks to correct anomalies in the current tax code to ensure that civil partners will be treated in the same manner as married opposite sex couples. While to date we may not agree with some of the Government action or inaction, we should commend it, and its predecessors, for bringing forward this Bill and reassure the Government of Sinn Féin's wholehearted support on this matter.

As legislators, it is our privilege to correct the wrongs in the system. This Bill provides for couples considering civil partnerships some legal certainty and security, which, given the current economic climate, is more important than ever.

The Finance (No. 3) Bill is also important in another respect in that it ensures that children of civil partners will be treated the same in some respects for tax purposes as children of married couples.

As I stated already, it is a privilege, as a legislator, to right these wrongs. I hope that the Minister takes on board the recommendations of Senator Zappone in this matter.

I welcome that this Bill will largely enjoy cross-party support. This is essential if we are to send a strong signal that discrimination and prejudice is wrong and that the Oireachtas is properly serious about equality and about treating all citizens and residents in the State with the dignity they deserve.

This Bill will further the rights and entitlements of all of those in society, regardless of sexual orientation, including equal recognition of same-sex parents in families. As I stated, Sinn Féin supports the right of same-sex couples to marry and form a family, including by adoption, and sought to have this right enshrined in legislation. It was Deputy Crowe of Sinn Féin who first tabled an amendment to the Civil Registration Bill in 2003 to provide for equal recognition of same-sex marriage.

In the programme for Government Fine Gael and Labour made a clear commitment to promote constitutional reform to enable same-sex marriage and I urge the enactment of this commitment as soon as possible. My party looks forward to seeing the Government advance the rights of lesbian and gay individuals, couples and families in the future. If this happens, I assure the Government that it will have Sinn Féin's full and enthusiastic support.

This Bill is merely another step in realising the rights of all of the people. It is another step in realising the vision of the 1916 Proclamation to build a republic on the principles of equality, sovereignty and liberty. Hopefully, it is shared by all parties and Senators in this Chamber.