Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am listening but I am not completely sold on what the Minister said. In the previous few contributions we talked about women being silenced. With all due respect to my colleagues on all sides of the House, the constant mention of 1 January feels like another silencing of women. That point is not aimed at the Minister but at my colleagues in the House.When it comes to serious risk and other sections of this Bill, such as on three-day waiting periods, some women will be failed by the legislation irrespective of whether it is in effect on 1 January next year or 20 October next year. It is more important to me that we get it right than have ourselves held to the idea that we cannot do our jobs, legislate or table and push amendments. This idea is unfair to us.

At the end of the day, the people I represent do not feel represented by this legislation in many parts. They do not feel the heads of the Bill published were what they voted for. They would have voted for repeal regardless of whether the heads were published. Sometimes using the heads of a Bill is a bit irrelevant. The hundreds of thousands of people who voted did not all vote for the heads of the Bill. Most of them did not read them. Not a single question about the heads was raised with me on the doorsteps over months of canvassing. Therefore, I do not buy the view that the heads of the Bill have to comprise something sacred under which we work rather than part of positive legislation that mitigates all the access and harm issues. I want to go forward over the next few days not feeling I am under threat of being silenced as a Senator. This threat comes from outside also.

Everyone is feeling a great need to pass the legislation without delay but the only thing that will delay it will be a Government effort to cancel in the Dáil amendments we make in the Seanad. I will not be taking responsibility at any stage for delaying. If the Government tries to undo our amendments in the Dáil, it will be its decision to delay the Bill further and not that of Senators in this House. My comments are not aimed directly at anyone. I have been hearing many different conversation points since I came into the House this afternoon. I want to be able to move forward with the legislation knowing I am here to do my job and represent the people who contact me, who have major concerns about the legislation as it stands.