Seanad debates

Tuesday, 17 February 2015

Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages

 

2:30 pm

Photo of David NorrisDavid Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the fact that the Government has tabled a series of amendments. It has met some of the arguments we put on Second Stage and Committee Stage and this is a good thing. It is not a perfect Bill; it is a work in progress and I certainly understand that. We did a good deal of work on it the previous day. I believe we have come as far as the Government is prepared to go. Perhaps I am wrong, but I doubt it. For that reason I did not resubmit my amendments. The principle of one of my amendments was accepted and I am grateful for that. I am particularly grateful that the Government took on board the question of medical evaluation. That was important and I am pleased the Government has seen fit to do that.

Of the two amendments in question, Senator Zappone's seems to me to be preferable because it specifies the indices by which the report is to be marked and evaluated and so on. However, that does not prevent such criteria being brought into play during the review of the situation.

I have other commitments this afternoon which I did not see fit to cancel because of my feeling regarding the position of the Bill at this stage. By and large, we have come as far as we can with the Government and I reckon extensive argument is redundant. I welcome the fact that we have made a degree of progress. That is very good. I realise some of my friends in the Gallery will be disappointed, but this is a work in progress and I look forward to the completion of this work in a speedy period.

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