Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the passage of the Second Stage of the Marriage Bill through the Seanad last night. The legislation was greeted with a celebratory atmosphere in the House. The Visitors' Gallery was full and the overflow was accommodated in the nearby AV Room where people could watch the debate. It was a heartening and welcoming experience to be part of the debate. I hope the Bill will achieve a speedy final passage through the House tomorrow so that we can see the first marriages take place between same-sex couples without further delay.

I welcome the fact that we will debate Report Stage of the Children First Bill today after the Order of Business. I also welcome the fact that the Government has accepted two amendments that were tabled by my colleague, Senator Jillian van Turnhout, which relate to the abolition of the defence of reasonable chastisement. This development is hugely important and is something that is long overdue. It is great to see the Seanad as a Chamber in which the Government accepts amendments of this kind and I know that we will have a good debate.

I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on victims of crime. Is there a projected date for the introduction in the House of the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Bill? This morning the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality dealt with the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill. During the course of the debate powerful submissions were made by eight NGOs who work with victims of crime. They included the Victims' Rights Alliance, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, the Rape Crisis Network Ireland, the Irish Penal Reform Trust, IPRT, and other groups. In the course of their submissions the NGOs reminded us that this Bill is important because for the first time it provides a statutory framework for the protection of victims' rights in the criminal justice system. It is also a Bill that will implement an EU directive that must be transposed in Ireland by 16 November. The legislation has reached the heads of a Bill stage. The committee is hastening through its pre-legislative scrutiny of the legislation. I wonder can we get it into the Seanad without any undue delay. During the submissions we also heard from Safe Ireland, which released its data on domestic violence this morning which contained some frightening figures. As Safe Ireland pointed out to us, the appalling tragedy where Garda Tony Golden was murdered highlights the serious issue of domestic violence and domestic abuse.

I ask the Leader for a debate on Northern Ireland in light of yesterday's reports of paramilitary activity in the North. As it happens, I will be in Stormont tomorrow and will speak at a conference in Belfast. It is good that we have close links with our parliamentary colleagues in the North. To that end, I ask the Leader to consider at our next meeting of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, CPP, what role the Seanad can play in supporting the peace process and bringing about the restoration of the institutions in Northern Ireland. When former Senator Martin McAleese was here one of our speakers in the House was the head of the Orange Order. There may be some other way in which the Seanad could support those who are trying to ensure there is a return to proper structures in the peace process and proper parliamentary structures in Northern Ireland.