Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Like Senator O’Brien, I wish to begin by also offering condolences to the Bolger family from Passage East in Waterford. The accident that happened at sea yesterday was an utter tragedy. All of our thoughts and condolences are with their family.

On a happier note I remind colleagues that today is Yeats Day. Our colleague, Senator Susan O’Keeffe, is in Sligo today and is very involved in the organisation of the day to celebrate the achievements and life of the former Senator, poet and cultural icon, William Butler Yeats. There are lots of plans afoot in Sligo to have celebrations worthy of Bloomsday in Dublin. We all very much hope it will really take off this year and in future years.

I welcome the publication by the Government late last night of the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill. We had an extensive debate on the heads of the Bill in this Chamber under the auspices of the Joint Committee on Health and Children. Many colleagues, including me, participated in the debate. It is very welcome to see that the Bill is now greatly improved from the heads we debated during the committee hearings. I am proud that the Government is finally facing up to its responsibility as legislators and putting the Bill before us as legislators. There are key changes in the Bill that will make it a much more effective and accessible procedure whereby women might vindicate their constitutional right to life and whereby the constitutional right to life of the unborn might also be vindicated. Some of the key changes, including the definition of appropriate institutions-----