David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I certainly am seeking a debate. We must never forget the children who exist in these relationships. The real abuse is the present situation whereby a child can enter a loving relationship between persons of the same sex, be fostered, cherished and loved by them, but then, if the adopting parent dies, be left completely bereft.

I very much welcome the erection of a memorial in Kerry to Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty, a remarkable and courageous man who should be a world figure. We in Ireland should be much more proud of him than we are. At the height of the Second World War he exposed himself to danger by rescuing Jewish prisoners. Although from a republican family, he also rescued a considerable number of Allied airmen and soldiers. He represents the conscience of the Vatican and is a man of whom we should be extraordinarily proud. The Italians were so impressed with him as a human being that in a film made in the late 1950s or 1960s, they claimed him as one of their own. It is time we told the world that Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty was an Irishman and we are as proud of him as we are of Roger Casement.