Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate our colleague, Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, on his new position with TG4. As he will be with us for another month, it is a little premature to pay tribute to him. It has been a pleasure to work with him in recent months, in particular, as a member of the Technical Group. On my own behalf and that of my Labour Party colleagues, I thank him for working with us and look forward to continuing to work with him in the next few weeks.

I agree with Senator Michael McDowell on the report on the Israeli Prime Minister which I, too, was concerned to see. I thought it was an important debate last week and was delighted to take part in it. I commend Senators Frances Black and David Norris and their colleagues for proposing the Bill and the way in which the debate was conducted. It was sensible to withdraw the Bill in order to engage in further consultation on it.

I thank the Leader for continuing today the debate on foreign affairs which we had to postpone from last week. I am sorry to hear that the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Simon Coveney, will not be present, but I look forward to participating in the debate. I thank all those who attended the screening of "Syria - The Impossible Revolution" which I was happy to host earlier today. The film which is supported by the Irish Syria Solidarity Movement was made by Ms Anne Daly and Mr. Ronan Tynan. It is a powerful documentary about the origins of the Syrian revolution and the terrible tragedies that have befallen the Syrian people in recent years.For anyone who would like to see it, I will be sending a link.

Finally, I wish to note that today marks an important anniversary. It is the 100th anniversary of the passage of the Representation of the People Act 1918, which gave women the right to vote, albeit a somewhat limited right to vote. For the first time, it allowed women over 30 to vote in Ireland and Britain. It paved the way for the 1918 general election in which Constance Markievicz was elected as the first woman Member of Parliament and Teachta Dála. Today, we remember all of the many women and men who campaigned on women's suffrage over many years, including women like Isabella Tod, the Haslams, Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington and, of course, Constance Markievicz.

I am delighted to be chairing the Vótáil 100 programme and to be wearing the badge. The Taoiseach is wearing the same badge in the other Chamber today. The badge is a replica of the Irish Women’s Franchise League badge and all Members of the Oireachtas have received one to mark this important centenary. Over 2018 we will have many different events. Our committee is made up of Deputies and Senators on a cross-party basis. Senators Conway-Walsh, Higgins and McFadden are committee members from this House. We will have a series of events in the Seanad Chamber in particular. It is very much a Seanad-led series of events. I thank the Leader for agreeing to have a debate on the centenary in the House on the week of International Women's Day. There will be a debate in the Dáil this evening at 6 p.m. on the anniversary on the Representation of the People Act. We look forward to welcoming young people into the Chamber from transition year on 17 April for the Díospóireacht na nÓg public speaking competition to mark the centenary. We look forward to many other events over the year as well. I thank colleagues for their support. I wish to mark how much has been done 100 years on but how much still remains to be done too, with women comprising only 22% of the Dáil and only 30% of the Seanad.