Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will try. The Chair will give me some leeway because it is International Women's Day. I commend and respect Senator Ned O'Sullivan for what he has said. I think his journey, which he has shared, will help this country to make its decision on the eighth amendment. I thank him for his thoughtful contribution which was devoid of spin. I would have to be forgiven if I did not talk about women on International Women's Day. It is important to talk about women given that we comprise over half, perhaps 52%, of the population of the world. I love Irish women and I love to reach out internationally to other women throughout the world who are in very difficult circumstances. I was at Richmond Barracks in Inchicore this morning with the women from Palestine. I want to repeat in this Chamber an extract from a poem, Here We Shall Stay, that was read at this morning's wonderful event:

We shall remain

a wall upon your chest,

clean dishes in your bars,

serve drinks in your restaurants,

sweep the floors of your kitchens

to snatch a bite for our children

from your blue fangs.

Here we shall stay,

sing our songs,

take to the angry streets,

fill prisons with dignity.

In Lidda, in Ramla, in the Galilee,

we shall remain,

guard the shade of the fig

and olive trees,

ferment rebellion in our children

as yeast in the dough.

Free Palestine. Go raibh maith agat.