Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My point is that on a day for celebration, Senator Ruane's comments were somewhat negative. I am entitled to my view and to express it here as a Member of the House.

The purpose of this Bill is to enhance equality, fairness and justice for those people were been hurt and let down, not just by the State but also by the church and society over a period of time. It is about addressing the injustice of the way in which people viewed gay people and the way we were treated by the State, the church and society. Fortunately, we have moved on from that and this Bill serves as another symbol of progression towards full equality. I share Senator Ruane's view that we did not put the roof on the house when we passed the marriage equality legislation. However, to focus on what this and the previous Government have not done is very unfair. Without their efforts, we would not have the progress on the road to equality we have seen. We would not have had the changes around marriage equality, adoption, inheritance and tax law and blood donations. The Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, and his predecessor, Deputy Varadkar, drove the latter change. I reject any negative connotations to what we have done and are doing in this regard. The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Bruton, as well as his predecessors, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan and former Deputy Ruairí Quinn, did important work which saw changes in the school curriculum to cover homophobic bullying and so on. Those changes were achieved by the Department working with BeLonG To and other partners.

Important changes have happened and continue to happen. That is why I am passionate about being positive today. We fought for that change. I remember today former Deputy John Lyons, who worked quietly with me to push Ministers in the last Dáil on the issue of gender recognition. I am unapologetic in wanting to celebrate the positivity of the changes we have seen.