David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I formally second the proposal by Senator Warfield to take the Gender Recognition (Amendment) Bill 2017.

Yesterday, we discussed the Heritage Bill and it received detailed and comprehensive analysis. We spent nine hours debating it, which was a revelation. As I said yesterday, I could not get a single person to stand with me to object to certain clauses of the Bill in the last Parliament. Yesterday was a good day in this Parliament because a significant amendment was passed that restricts the cutting of hedges to the roadside. Even though this is a very important matter that affects a huge number of people in this country I could not find newspaper coverage whatsoever, nothing. The Seanad might well not have existed at all. We cannot compel the media to cover this House. We are entitled to ask why there is media coverage only when something trivial or entertaining happens in the Seanad. I am as guilty as anybody else in this aspect.