David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is remarkable that I was the person who stopped both Elton John and Freddie Mercury - I did not know who they were - and asked them for their membership certificates. I pay tribute to Brian Sheehan in particular. He did a remarkable job. Kieran Rose also worked extremely hard, even though latterly he was a little foolish. He took me on in something he published in which he said I was unfit to be in politics and should not be allowed into the Seanad because I described the Government's initial civil partnership Bill as a dog licence, but I am absolutely unrepentant. It is the responsibility of independent campaigners to hold the Government to the gold standard and not to lean on it for any little crumb that falls from its table. I pay tribute to GLEN and I am very sorry it has closed down. I thank the organisation as an ordinary gay person for the remarkable work it did and I hope there will be a successor organisation to carry on what it has done. Finally, I would like to say how very sorry I am that the three remaining employees will now find themselves on the dole queue.