Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The point Senator Murnane O'Connor made is an important one.

Senator Boyhan raised an important point concerning the direct provision system. We had the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, in the House last week dealing with the issue of the implementation of the migrant strategy and some Members raised with him the direct provision system. All of us recognise the need for the implementation in full of the report that the former High Court judge, Mr. Justice McMahon, was commissioned to deliver. The Senator referred to NASC which does a great deal of important work, and I am familiar with its work in Cork. I would be happy to arrange for the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, to come back to the House to deal with that issue.

Senator Ó Donnghaile raised the issue of the Irish language Act. Tá suim mhór agam i gcúrsaí Gaeilge, go mórmhór sa Tuaisceart. Bronnaim mo thacaíocht personally ar an Teachta Ó Donnghaile as ucht na hoibre sin. It is important that we promote the right of all of us on this island to speak the Irish language, to be educated in it, and to have the right to have that conversation and to do business in Irish in our country. I have no issue with that. I hope the Senator will talk to his leader in the North and to his colleagues, the Members of the Legislative Assembly, MLAs, and that he will be very proactive regarding the provision of marriage equality in the north of our country. On this anniversary of the same-sex marriage referendum, it stands as a disappointment that all people do not have the right to marriage in all of our country. The Senator has a key role to play in that respect, given his strategic importance in the party to which he belongs, not only to come in here to advocate, but to give a not so gentle prod to his MLA colleagues and his leader in the North.