Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank all Senators for their kind works and for the unanimous support expressed for this Bill. I also thank Senator Moran for seconding it so eloquently and my other Labour Party colleague, Senator O'Keeffe, for her eloquent words. I thank Senator Barrett for outing me as an atheist preacher. That was a one off event in the Trinity College chapel.

I would particularly like to thank the Minister of State for expressing Government acceptance for the Bill. I am delighted the Government will take this forward as a Government Bill, which is a great result for the Labour Party group in the Seanad and for the Seanad as an institution. It is appropriate that Deputy Kathleen Lynch is the Minister to express that given her strong record on this issue. It shows the value of the Seanad and the potential for all of us as legislators. I am proud that this is the third Bill I have had the privilege of introducing that has been adopted as a Government Bill by two different Governments and I am glad that has happened. As the Minister of State reiterated, there is a need to maintain momentum on this. We do not want the Bill to disappear into a vacuum and we do not want unnecessary delays. It is a year since Senator Power introduced her Bill and I pay tribute to her for keeping the issue alive. While I accept the need to take the advice of the Attorney General and to have some consultation, it is not unreasonable that we would move to Committee Stage before the summer recess.