Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate Deputy Aylward on his re-election to Dáil Éireann. It is a great honour for him and his family. I also second the amendment to the Order of Business proposed by Senator Barrett.

I acknowledge the tsunami victory that the "Yes" campaign achieved over the weekend. I was very interested in the remarks made by the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin. As a practising Catholic, I believe that unless the Catholic Church takes heed of the seismic shift in Irish society it will decline further into the abyss. His remarks were encouraging and acknowledged the situation in which we find ourselves. It is important that this is done because, historically, the Catholic Church has buried its head in the sand. I would like to see a move in the Catholic Church to a more centrist position and to an acknowledgement of how society is evolving. If it does not do that, unfortunately, the church to which I have been attached since my childhood, and as a practising Catholic I will probably die a member of it, is certainly going nowhere and on a hiding to nothing.

I also rise to acknowledge the tremendous work done by my colleague, Senator David Norris. I became a Member of the Seanad on 27 October 1989.At that stage Senator Norris was ploughing a lonely furrow, not only in this House but in the country, and he was often scoffed at by members of my party and other parties. I admire his tenacity and his courage in holding out. He won a very successful court case in Europe, which led to the then Minister, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, taking on board the decriminalisation of homosexuality. At the request of the then Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, in 2002 and 2003, I chaired a committee on the Constitution, which was the first group to examine the whole area of the family and to recommend civil partnership. It was a big step in that direction. At that time I had many discussions with Senator Norris both on and off the record. It was my view then that a referendum to change the situation at that time would probably have failed. That was my view and it was the majority view of the committee. It was a large committee. I specifically requested the Taoiseach to bring on board the Independents, Sinn Féin and the Green Party. Our work was acknowledged, but it would be remiss of me today, as the deputy leader of this group and on behalf of Fianna Fáil, not to congratulate the "Yes" side. If any person in this country was the catalyst for change who often ploughed a lone furrow, that is Senator David Norris, and I bow to him here today.