Averil Power (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I support what Senator Hayden has said about the deeply unfair remarks that were made about the Minister. Equally, the comments that were made about the Constitutional Convention, of which I was a part, were deeply disrespectful to the citizens involved, who gave a huge amount of their time to engage with this issue. They engaged with it in a very genuine and open way. Many of them changed their minds as a result of hearing all the presentations and all the speakers, one of whom was Senator Mullen. Everybody had an opportunity to speak at that forum. It is unfair and disrespectful to claim that people did not have the intelligence or wherewithal to make up their own minds.

I wish to comment briefly on the use of the word "equality". The Oxford English Dictionary defines "equality" as "the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, or opportunities". That is precisely what this Bill is about. It is about giving people the equal right and opportunity to marry. That is precisely the definition of equality. Some groups do not like to use the word "equality" because they like to tell us they are in favour of equality, equal esteem and, as Senator Mullen said, dignity for gay people. The same groups argue that it is okay to refuse a gay person a service just because of their sexual orientation. They say it is okay to refuse to employ somebody, to discriminate against somebody in employment or indeed to fire somebody from their job just because of their sexual orientation. They think it is okay in this context to discriminate against two people in a loving and committed couple on the grounds of their sexual orientation. I am not aware of any definition of "equality" in which those views could possibly fit. People should be honest about where they stand here. If they do not believe lesbian and gay couples are entitled to equality, they should argue the reasons for that but they should not manipulate language by trying to extend it to a ridiculous extent.