Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Bill and thank Senators Bacik, Moran and Power for blazing the trail on this, as well as Deputies Ó Ríordáin, Lyons, Conway and Hannigan who are promoting it in the other House.

We are making progress in dismantling the apparatus of discrimination, not least in the North where the society seemed to be built on discrimination. The progress that has been made there is a model for all of us. A society without prejudice and discrimination is much more interesting, creative and developmental than one in which there are the barriers which we have tried to break down. One thinks of the County Mayo librarian case and the Fethard-on-Sea boycotts, and the New Ross school case was described earlier. The contrast with how we are progressing now could be seen last Sunday when I heard Senator Bacik preach at a Church of Ireland service on the virtues of atheism, and she was extremely well received. In fact, the dean pointed out how much the congregation and our visiting preacher had in common. That was wonderful. We can learn from each other and from the values about which she spoke. Senator Zappone will preach from the same pulpit next week in reparation for the damage caused by homophobia. That is a church community welcoming views of much greater diversity than were heard traditionally and getting away from the immense harm that was caused to people at all levels of society.

Respect for diversity and tolerance is also an ethos we would like to promote in this country, and I believe we are making progress. This morning, Deputy Tom Hayes's committee on communications and transport was discussing cyberbullying and the committee's report will be produced soon. One can take it that the committee will not be found lacking in dealing with the problem of homophobic bullying in society and particularly in schools.

This is legislation from which a new Ireland will emerge. Of course, one must pay tribute to our colleague, Senator Norris, for the immense work he did over so many decades. Society is enriched by embracing the gay, lesbian and transgender communities. We can only try to see if there was any rationale for discrimination against unmarried mothers. I do not know whom they were supposed to be threatening, but we did develop a very strange type of society, as the Taoiseach has said several times recently in the Dáil, with very strange prejudices underpinning all sorts of conduct, which we now deplore.

I wish this Bill well. I will attentively study the amendments which Senator Zappone has mentioned, should she feel the need to table them to strengthen the Bill. However, this is a good day for the Seanad and for the liberalisation of Irish society in encompassing the richness of diversity. It will, we hope, make this country a better place in the future and will continue its recovery. A much more humane society in this country, both North and South, has much to commend it.