Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I commend the incredible work being done by so many, both in a professional capacity and in a voluntary capacity, in terms of the flood defences around the country.It is very moving to see the incredible work being done by local councils, the Defence Forces, local businesses and local communities in seeking to lessen the impact of the flooding. I know that all would wish to join me in commending their great work.

I welcome the fact that the nurses strike has been called off. I welcome also the jobs announcements - an issue we often overlook - of recent days. Hundreds of jobs have been announced this morning and yesterday morning.

I welcome the news that at today's Cabinet meeting a change was agreed to the current marriage exemption for children under the age of 18. This change has been agreed on foot of a motion raised in this House by me, on behalf of Labour Party Senators, proposing the motion, and seconded by Senator Jillian van Turnhout who had also raised the issue. We had tabled this motion because of concerns arising that a large number of exemptions were being granted to the general rule that children cannot enter marriages in Ireland. We asked the Minister on 25 June 2014 to look at sections 31 and 33 of the Family Law Act 1995 with a view to ending the practice of allowing exemptions from the rule that parties to a marriage must be over the age of 18 years. On that date we set out our serious concerns about the possibility of coercion or of children being forced into marriage at a young age. We noted that approximately 30 weddings had been contracted in Ireland in 2012 where either or both parties were under the age of 18 years.

Quite a number of exemptions are being granted in the High Court. These applications are carried out in camera. We do not have any data on who is applying or the context of the applications but we did refer to a High Court judgment from 2013 where Mr. Justice McMenamin had referred, with concern, to the practice of young people being coerced in some way into marriage contracts. I am delighted the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, who, on foot of our motion, set up an interdepartmental working group, has brought before the Cabinet a proposal to end the practice. It is a good day for the Seanad to see a change in policy as a result of a motion tabled in this House. I commend Labour Women who first raised this as an issue with me and, Senator Jillian van Turnhout, who had also raised the issue. It is an important child protection issue and a good step forward for children's rights.