Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I compliment my colleague, Senator Seery Kearney, on all her hard work on this initiative, along with many others. Her lived experience is vital to the work of politicians and Departments, in Leinster House and around the country. For too long, we did not have those voices in this Chamber and the issues were not raised or progressed as a result. Change did not come because many others whose voices were not being heard as they were unable to get through the system to have their voices heard. It is because the Senator is here that this change has happened. She has been relentless in her pursuit of the matter, working with colleagues across the House, in the Dáil and in the Departments. It is no small feat to get change in this country, or any country, in a system that is so used to doing things as it always did. It affects such a small group of people that it does not have the critical mass to be able to get momentum but it is required. Hopefully, the progress will continue.