Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his words. This is a civil rights issue. It is about giving equal opportunity to members of the deaf community to be full citizens of the State. It is also about ending extreme marginalisation. The Minister of State has said the Bill will pass Second Stage and this has been made possible by new politics. People give out about it but the last election changed the dynamic. Previously, this would not have seen the light of day after this speech ended but now we will go to the next Stage. The problem with new politics is we do not know what happens next. Under the confidence and supply agreement, after Second Stage the Bill should go to Committee Stage within ten weeks but under Standing Orders it is supposed to go to pre-legislative scrutiny. I am sure we will have this clarified with the assistance of the Leader of the House and the business committee.

Ten weeks from now is 28 December. I have been known to call the Seanad back from its holidays, but I assure Members that whatever I do I will not upset Christmas. I hope that in the new year, Committee Stage will take place, depending on the result of the inquiries into pre-legislative scrutiny. This has gone through pre-legislative scrutiny. The Irish Deaf Society has taken best practice. When the Bill was put together it was with the assistance of the Houses of the Oireachtas, under its pilot programme whereby Members of the House could get legislation drafted, with input from all sides and looking at legislation put in place in other jurisdictions. The argument for pre-legislative scrutiny may be valid, and whether the ten-week timeline is the way we will go is an issue we will resolve. We are all at one on the fact we want to get this done and get it across the line. I thank the Minister of State for his support. I thank the Members for their contributions. I also thank the interpreters for their participation. I thank the members of the deaf community who are here and who have been part of the campaign so far. Legislation is a journey and this is one step. I hope that with the Minister of State and all Members, we will journey on this road together.