Seanad debates

Tuesday, 20 October 2015

Marriage Bill 2015: Second Stage

 

2:30 pm

Photo of Martin ConwayMartin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That was an example of the people having their say and clearly stating what they wanted but it has not been enacted. The Department of Justice and Equality, the phenomenal Minister and her officials deserve huge credit for getting this over the line.

I followed the debate on this legislation and civil partnerships in the other House. I understand people's point of view on that issue but the Minister has made it clear that, unfortunately, the legal advice available to her made it impossible to facilitate a dual process in that regard because in essence, it did not formalise equality.

This Government will be remembered for several things, apart from the economy, which comes and goes. However, in terms of doing the right thing by our citizens, the referendum on 22 May will be its crowning achievement. The Taoiseach’s apology to the victims of child and institutional abuse was also significant in terms of doing the right thing by the citizens. Other matters, such as the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013, are issues for debate. It is a testament to the political leadership across the political divide in this country that all the leading parties were behind this Bill and put resources into campaigning for it, knocking on doors with enthusiasm because it was the right thing to do. A new generation has been politicised, people who never knocked on a door before knocked on doors and made a huge impact on getting a "Yes" vote.

The people who told their own stories publicly had a profound effect on the campaign - people such as Ursula Halligan; Tom Curran, Fine Gael general secretary, a controversial figure within Fine Gael but the party was proud of what he achieved by telling his story; and Justin and Mary McAleese; who put aside their privacy. Ursula Halligan is an exceptionally private person but put aside her privacy to get the message out that this meant a lot to hundreds of thousands of people. I salute all of those people and the people in communities who are not national figures but who went on local radio and shared their stories. A chap in County Clare wrote a letter to his neighbours appealing to them to vote and telling his story in the letter. That type of action was powerful. It changed a perhaps unintended mind set in a lot of people to get them to do the right thing. I look forward to the Bill's passage through this House. It will be completed by Thursday, with the co-operation of all parties. I commend it to the House and look forward to the remaining Stages going through very quickly.

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