Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I second the proposal that No. 23 be taken before No. 1. This is a Bill I and my colleague, Senator O'Loughlin, have been working on. It essentially brings in publicly-funded IVF. It is something I have spoken about previously in this House. My husband and I had to go through five rounds of IVF to create our beautiful family. It takes an emotional toll on you and also a huge financial one. I probably spent the last Seanad going in and out of IVF clinics on my own and I hope this Bill will not only address the taboo with IVF but also the financial curse families must carry when going through the treatment. The cost is nearly the size of a deposit on a house. I am delighted we are bringing this legislation in and hope it will get support from all sides of the House.

The second issue I wish to raise relates to the shooting in Nashville, Tennessee. There have been over 120 mass shootings so far this year in the US. Over 63 children have died in mass shootings. I would like to send a message from the Seanad to our colleagues in the US to do something to reform gun laws. The message could say we are watching and we are all horrified, as most citizens of the US are too. It is about the laws. There are no gun laws in Nashville. I think a person can carry a weapon once he or she is over the age of 21 and can buy a gun without any questions asked. These are the repercussions and it is tragic. My thoughts go out to the families of the six people, including three children, who died yesterday.