Jimmy Harte (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the news from Cabinet yesterday that a referendum on same-sex marriage will take place next year. The church in Ireland should reflect on the statement it made and take its lead from Pope Francis who has embraced the idea of asking people for their views. If the Catholic Church is to be saved, it will be Pope Francis who will save it. The church in Ireland seems to have come out full guns blazing to oppose this. However, Thomas Groome, an eminent theologian from Boston, has said that in a major move by Pope Francis, he is to ask the people what they think about matters to do with the church. It seems that the church in Ireland is holier than the pope but it should wait until the pope makes the next move rather than condemning people. It is not that long ago since mixed marriages between men and women in this country were condemned because it was considered that one of the partners did not have the right religion. The church frowned on people getting married who did not have the same religion but thankfully that is no longer an issue in most relationships. This referendum will be a further move beyond that point and I expect it will be passed.

I call for the Minister for Social Protection to come into the House to discuss the JobBridge and JobsPlus schemes, which have been successful. I have attended meetings in Donegal, and have got news reports of this, where Sinn Féin constantly hammer the JobBridge and JobsPlus schemes because they are successful, not because they are not successful. I point out that the two Sinn Féin representatives from Donegal, two Deputies, were funded on a scheme by taxpayers while they were on the dole.