Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I note what the Minister of State and Senator Daly have said. It is really important that there will be a review because that is critical. Senator Daly spoke about starting off in 2013, but as I was coming up the stairs today, I was thinking of the heated debates and the tensions earlier this year. Time has moved on. I was at one of the meetings in the Department with the Minister of State. There was a big delegation led by Senator Daly. It may have been one of the biggest delegations ever to Hawkins House. It was quite tense at the beginning, but come the end of the day and as weeks moved on, people compromised. Politics is about pragmatism, compromise and delivery. Forget about the deadlines and the timeframes if we can deliver.

I salute those in the Gallery who have also stuck with the cause. It is not always easy when we have to scale back and pull back but this is a positive start. I felt that in recent weeks. I also acknowledge the work of Senator Clifford-Lee. Both Senators have done a lot of work on these amendments and they have stuck with it.

It is important that there is a review and that all stakeholders and users of the service are involved and engaged fully in the process. At the end of the day, this is about equality, access to employment opportunities and information, and communication and real engagement in their lives with other people. Information is power and all that comes with it. This is really important legislation and I acknowledge the work and input that the people put into it. I am happy to support the Bill.