Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I look forward to reading the Joint Committee on Gender Equality's report. I commend all who were involved in that report.

I congratulate Senator Mary Fitzpatrick and the 1916 Relatives Association on their briefing yesterday about the campaign to name the new children's hospital after Dr. Kathleen Lynn. It is a fantastic idea. I want to add my name to the long list of Members who are backing this proposal. Dr. Lynn was not only a leader in the 1916 Rising, she was a medical innovator and a friend to Dublin's poor. She was involved in setting up St. Ultan's Children's Hospital, which is just up the road from where I was born and reared. She was a socialist and feminist. By commemorating her, we would not only be paying tribute to an heroic individual but we would also be remembering more widely the people who worked hard in the Irish revolutionary period, which was sadly quelled in the early years of the Free State. I hope the broad agreement on this issue is translated into a tangible result.

I wish the Leader and everyone else a very peaceful and happy Christmas. I thank the Leader for all the work she has done and I thank Senators. It truly has been a privilege working with everybody. I love the work here. I love the way the Seanad works. I thank the Cathaoirleach for the phenomenal work he has done in his role. I express huge gratitude to the staff, Martin Groves, Bridget Doody and all of the team. They do not get enough credit. They work extremely hard and keep this place going.

I express my gratitude to the activists, experts and campaigners who have supported me in my role as a parliamentarian and Seanadóir. The people I try to represent here are those work in civil society and for social justice. I hope I can reflect their passion and dedication for creating a more caring and equal society while I am in here.

I wish everyone a very happy Christmas and a peaceful new year.