Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I join other colleagues in expressing the sympathies of the Labour Party group in the Seanad to all the victims and families of victims caught up in the horrific attack in Orlando, which was a homophobic hate crime, a crime of terror and a crime that has highlighted not only homophobia and terrorism but issues around gun control, particularly how somebody who had been under investigation by the FBI was able to purchase these horrific assault rifles. I commend GLEN, BeLonGTo and Transgender Equality Network Ireland on organising the vigil on Monday evening and the Lord Mayor of Dublin on opening the book of condolences in the Mansion House. I understand it is open until 4 p.m. today. Again, I express my sympathies not only to those in Orlando but also to the family of the police officer killed so horrifically in Paris.

I join Senator Higgins in calling for a future debate on domestic violence in light of the figures published today by Women's Aid. We have had some very good collaborative work in previous Seanadaí on domestic violence and mechanisms to address this huge problem.

I also look forward to working with colleagues from all parties and the Independent group on the pressing issue of Seanad reform. In particular, the Labour Party group in the Seanad will reintroduce the Competition (Amendment) Bill. We would like to see further progress on this Bill, which was a Private Members' Bill accepted on Second Stage by the Government in January 2016. I hope we will see this proceed through the House as a Private Members' Bill.

I ask the Leader for a debate on the ruling last week of the United Nations Human Rights Committee on the application brought by Amanda Mellet. I commend her on her bravery and that of her family and those involved in Termination for Medical Reasons because the ruling of the committee has shone a light on the need to address the eighth amendment to the Constitution. The finding that Ireland was in breach of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and had violated the human rights of Ms Mellet because of the prohibition in our law of termination, even in cases of fatal foetal abnormality, deserves a very prompt and urgent response from the Government. I am disappointed to hear the Taoiseach appear to dismiss or denigrate that ruling as not being binding. I am concerned for two reasons about his proposal to put forward a citizens' assembly. First, it appears to be an attempt to delay taking any action on the need to abolish the eighth amendment. The Taoiseach did not need to put the issue of Seanad abolition to a citizens' assembly before he called the referendum on that and I do not believe we need a citizens' assembly before we have a referendum on repeal of the eighth amendment. Second, some commentary about the citizens' assembly from Fine Gael politicians has betrayed an anti-politician tenor that is disturbing, that this idea is somehow going to be better than the Convention on the Constitution, a model which I think all of us in the previous Seanad agreed was a very worthwhile model that paved the way for the marriage equality referendum. That Constitutional Convention was made up of representatives of political parties and citizens chosen in accordance with the demographics of the country. This sort of model would be preferable to a citizens' assembly. If a citizens' assembly is to be held, it needs to be done expeditiously and we do not want to see any further delay. We do not want to see any more cases like that of Savita Halappanavar or the tragic case in the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar. We need to move towards repeal of the eighth amendment without delay.