Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Irish people are remarkable because they will always follow the truth if the truth is authentic. In this instance, they followed the truth. Our common humanity can never be undermined. The referendum was about our common humanity, and that influenced how the Irish people voted. I congratulate them on voting the way they did. I wish to inform Senators Norris, Zappone and others that what has been achieved has been coming for a long time, and it has now found its rightful place in our society. I am very glad of that and I congratulate all of my colleagues and the great Irish people for their sense of what constitutes truth. The people will never let one down when the truth is invoked. I also wish to thank the Labour Party and Fine Gael, who created the platform - in both the Lower and Upper Houses - to allow this referendum to come about and to ensure that people could vote in it.

I remind the House that it was the Taoiseach's nominees who imagined and initiated the Seanad Public Consultation Committee, out of which have come the reports on farm safety, positive aging in Ireland, alcoholism and many other matters. The Leader took on board the concept of establishing such a committee, but it was imagined, initiated and developed by the Taoiseach's nominees.