Caít Keane (Fine Gael)

I am delighted to speak on this Bill and commend Senator Power on bringing it forward. I am delighted to speak after Senator Byrne who asked us not to pat him on the head, etc. l remind him that this legislation is long overdue. He said 172 years. Who was in power last? Why was it not introduced when it was very necessary and when the Equality Authority, society and all the groups in the Visitors Gallery called on the Government to change the legislation? As Senator Bacik said, it goes back to the Eileen Flynn case in the 1980s. That is how long Fianna Fáil had to do it but it did not do so.