Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I join with others in noting the 25th anniversary of the historic legislation which decriminalised homosexuality in 1993. I commend my colleague, Senator Nash, who has led the way on this by putting forward Private Members’ legislation on it, as well as working with the Leader and the Government in drafting a motion to be taken in the Seanad this evening acknowledging the anniversary and offering a sincere apology to individuals convicted of same-sex sexual activity which is now legal. It is an important motion and a similar one will be taken in the Dáil this evening. It started with Senator Nash but has been accepted as a Government motion. I commend the Leader for his leadership on this issue.

It is unfortunate, however, that an amendment has been put down by Sinn Féin Senators, as well as one to the Dáil motion. This motion reflects a genuine cross-party desire to see an apology and an exoneration offered to those who were convicted of offences which were historically decriminalised in 1993. These amendments deal with other matters and, in some respects, use language which is not appropriate to the spirit of exoneration and apology in which the motions were carefully drafted. I suggest we might move on a cross-party basis, without dividing the House, in agreeing the motion once we have debated it this evening. I look forward to that debate and I thank the Leader for facilitating it.

As we are debating this motion this evening, we should remember the tragic killing of Declan Flynn in Fairview Park in 1982. I am grateful to my colleague, Séamus Dooley, for reminding me of that. That was an appalling low for LGBTI communities in Ireland.

I join with colleagues in expressing condemnation of the current US practice of separating children from parents on the Mexican border and detaining them in cages. It is extremely disturbing and shocking to see such brutal treatment of children and of their parents, as well as a defence of this being offered by the current US Administration. Senator Lawless spoke eloquently in expressing his condemnation. I join with him in that condemnation on behalf of the Labour Party Senators.I think we will all support the motion put forward by Senator Mark Daly on the issue. I commend the Tánaiste on his strong words, which we all support.

The issue of teaching principals has been raised in the Seanad previously. It has also been raised by a number of my constituents who are graduates of Trinity. They have talked about the need for teaching principals to have at least one administration day per week so they have the support commensurate with the immense workload of teaching principals. In Northern Ireland, stronger support is given to teaching principals. It is an important issue. I ask that we have the Minister for Education and Skills in here to deal with it and other education issues at some point in the near future.

The House is due to take Second Stage of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill tomorrow. When will the Government's Committee Stage amendments for that Bill be ready? When will we have sight of them? Without the expected Government amendments to clear up what became a dog's dinner rather than caviar and oysters, we do not know what will be the shape of the Bill the Government is proposing. It is very difficult to engage in Second Stage debate on a Bill that is in the process of being quite comprehensively amended and, in particular, when we have not seen the Government amendments. The Labour Party will have its own amendments. I ask the Leader that we have sight of the amendments in advance of Second Stage.