Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Senator Norris is to be congratulated for being so full in his praise of Senator Bacik. She deserves the recognition of the House for her work over the years. Personally, when I was a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, I found her help, advice and guidance very valuable.

Returning to the comment of Senator Feighan, I agree this is not a time for any form of triumphalism and I am certainly not going to indulge in it. There is still a sizeable minority who do not share the winning view, if we want to call it the winning view. It is important to remember though that school of thought was, once upon a time in this country, a significant majority. It is now a minority. There is a change there. The Communist Chinese revolutionary, Zhou Enlai, was asked once what his opinion was of the French Revolution and whether it was a successful event. He said it was too soon to say. People are already reading everything into Saturday's result. It is too soon to say. Something huge has definitely happened. It is seismic and on the scale of the decriminalisation of homosexuality. Senator Norris deserves the bows there, as does my party colleague, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, who was the Minister who decriminalised it. It is on the scale of Donogh O'Malley's free education scheme or Seán Lemass going up north to meet Terence O'Neill. It is going to be seen in the history books in years to come as an important time.

Many Oireachtas Members of my party - a majority - voted "No". That was their entitlement. I had no problem with that. I worked on the "Yes" side with members of all parties and my Fianna Fáil colleagues worked on the "No" side with members of all parties as well. That is a grand thing and I have no problem with it. However, I do want to say very clearly today - as Senator Feighan has said - that we have moved on now.

The referendum is over and the people have had their say. There were reservations and they were heard, understood and acknowledged. Now that the people have spoken, as a lifelong member of Fianna Fáil I expect every member of my party in the Oireachtas to support the legislation, which was clearly outlined in the draft heads of the Bill that attended the referendum. We do not want any more dancing around on the heads of pins. I am saying that in public as something upon which my party needs to reflect. We were always a party of the people and we have to reconnect with the people.There is no question or doubt about that.

Mar fhocal scoir, many people have said it was bad to get into the practice of bringing all these young people back from abroad to vote and we might have opened Pandora's box. I say to those who thought as much that they should be very afraid. Young people have become engaged and politicised and they will stay that way. It is up to politicians to stay ahead of them rather than be dragged behind them.