Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

However, we do not have that Bill at the moment. I ask the Minister to work with us on the Bill before the House. I appreciate that he has made some constructive comments in regard to the Bill. I am the first to admit it is not perfect, but it has been well drafted. In terms of the issues raised by the Minister, we should constructively engage on them. Will the Minister engage with us? I propose to write to the Minister tomorrow requesting a meeting with him and his officials where we can go through this Bill drafted by Together for Safety and, if necessary, amend it and make it practicable.The people watching at home will wonder why it has to be a Government Bill. We have spoken previously about how the Seanad can work collectively and this is probably the best opportunity we will have this year to do so. I say to the Minister, respectfully, let us work together with this Bill. While we would work very constructively with a Government Bill, to be frank we do not have one from him just yet but we do have this Bill and women have already been left waiting too long. Again, I reference the harrowing testimony detailed by Senator Boylan. I wonder if some of the speakers in this debate did not listen to that because it made it very clear that something very wrong is happening outside our maternity hospitals right now. There is something deeply wrong happening. I was very struck by Senator Seery Kearney's point about being judged. That is what is happening but it should not be happening outside our hospitals.

The constitutional balance to which the Minister refers is, of course, important but as I referenced, we have safe zones in this country around our polling stations and no-one has ever had an issue with them. The possibility exists to make progress on this Bill and I ask the Minister to work with us. We will work with him but this Bill is live here this evening. It is on Second Stage and with his support, it will pass Second Stage. We want to get it to Committee Stage, to engage with the Minister on it and make it better and stronger. Above all, we want to act in defence of women and pregnant people, and put an end to this nonsense, this poison, that is outside our hospitals at the moment. Let us show the people watching that we can do this.