Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairman for extending the time of the debate. I welcome the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, to the House on this joyous occasion. I thank her and her Department for drafting this important legislation and for her proactive stewardship of this Bill and the marriage referendum Act through the Oireachtas. I entered this House as a 62 year old, conservative man who was always able to push aside the things I did not want to deal with, the things I felt other people should deal with. However, as a Member of this House, I was forced to deal with things I never thought I would have to deal with. While there was tremendous leadership outside this House for what we are speaking about today, I have to commend the Minister personally. I think she was phenomenal as she sat here and listened to the debates, and I congratulate her for the hours she put into it. I am deeply impressed.

This Bill is unique as it has the voice of every citizen of voting age behind it. It is unique because the issues now being legislated for have been robustly debated in every home in Ireland for the last year - indeed, in my own home, we had many a robust discussion on these issues. It is unique because it legislates for the minority, but with the full support of the majority and an unequivocal constitutional "Yes" behind it. It is truly the people’s Bill as it has come not only from political will and cross-party support, but from years of dignified and persistent advocacy. Central to the advocacy approach taken by Marriage Equality, GLEN and the wider "Yes Equality" coalition has been the immense power of the personal narrative, the power of each person’s story and the power to inform, to convince, to persuade and, ultimately, to bring about social, constitutional and, finally, legislative change.

This Bill is before us today because thousands of gay and lesbian citizens and their families were courageous enough to tell their story, and it will go down in the history of this State and, indeed, of the world, as one of the greatest stories ever told. From coming out to their TD to coming out on TV, on radio and in the print media, they did it, and I applaud each and every one of those in the Visitors Gallery for sharing it with us. We were humbled and convinced by their words.

The Bill is about choice and about freedom and, rare enough for a Bill in Leinster House, it is about love. It offers everyone the freedom to marry the person of their choice, regardless of their sexual orientation. It offers those who solemnise marriages as part of a religious ceremony the choice to solemnise all marriages, some or none at all. I welcome this explicit distinction between State-recognised marriage provided for by the Constitution and the act of religious solemnisation of a marriage. I firmly believe that the public have been confused about this in the past.

In drafting the Bill, the Minister and her officials have anticipated and provided for every conceivable outcome of the referendum result. The Bill has been careful to acknowledge existing civil partnerships and to facilitate an easy transition from these to marriages for those who wish to do so, while at the same time ensuring that existing civil partnerships remain valid. Having debated the Gender Recognition Act here in the Seanad, I particularly welcome the amendment to that Act which will remove the requirement that a person seeking a gender recognition certificate be single. I also welcome the important provision that same-sex marriages entered into abroad will be recognised in Ireland.

I am proud to be a Member of this House in the company of Senator Zappone and to see her partner, Dr. Ann Louise Gilligan, in the Visitors Gallery this evening. They have pursued legal recognition of their Canadian marriage since 2004, and I can only imagine what a proud and momentous day this is for both Katherine and Ann Louise. I want to also recognise my colleague, Senator David Norris, who was the first person in this country to have the courage of his convictions and to stand forward, which I acknowledge.

The brevity of this Bill, which is mainly technical in nature, belies its potential impact, not only on the hundreds of thousands of gay and lesbian citizens, on their children and on their families, but on each and every citizen of this State now and in the future. I welcome the Bill to the House and thank the Cathaoirleach for the opportunity to speak on it. I recall my cousin telling his parents that he was gay. Deeply religious parents as they were, they fought with their conscience and with their religion, and they accepted him and his partner into the bosom of their family. I want to recognise Pat, their son, and Una and Paddy - the surname is irrelevant at this point in time - for the love they showed their son and the understanding they showed when we lived in a very intolerant Ireland. I want to thank the transgender community in Ireland, who were the first people to come to see me. I am deeply grateful to them for opening my eyes to the difficulties we have as humans in tolerating our differences. I congratulate them all. I thank the Minister very much. I deeply appreciate the opportunity to speak this evening.