Róisín Garvey (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

It is great this is happening because any young person I have spoken to about this is amazed there is even a debate about it. They cannot believe this archaic wording is only now being challenged in any shape or form. They are delighted to hear it is happening now and are coming to me saying they want to canvass with me and get involved in the referendum canvass, which is interesting.

I find it really disturbing that some people who have no idea what they are talking about feel they can have an opinion on this. I suppose as a single parent myself I feel deeply offended by people who think family is this archaic definition of family based solely on marriage. I try not to get upset but that is a personal insult to me, a personal insult for 42% of the children born in Ireland, a personal insult to my son, and a personal insult to any gay couple who want to have kids. It is disgusting. It disgusts me that people in this House or anywhere else are now using this as some kind of a populist and stupid debate. Let us debate intelligently on intelligent things. This is a waste of time and is derailing something that has to be done. Bunreacht na hÉireann was written 100 years ago, so it is perfectly normal we would change wording to keep up with the times. My son is 24 and is saying "Why are we even being asked? It is so ridiculous. Are they saying that we're not a family, Mam?" This is one of the most stupid things I have ever heard opposition to. I have a neighbour who is a single dad. He raised his two kids on his own. Were they not a family? I do not know why anybody thinks this is even something about which there is a debate. We have to have a proper debate on "Yes" and "No" but I am just saying to people to listen to the young, to me as a single mother, to my son, to my friend who is a single dad and to the other fathers. I have several friends who are fathers who raised their kids on their own. I have several gay couple friends who want to have kids. Are we saying to all those people they are not a family? It is so backward and so archaic. It disgusts me we have public representatives speaking against this. We should all be unified in this. I would urge all on 8 March to vote "Yes" and "Yes" loud and clear, as we have in previous referendums, so that we finally see this country moving into a place that is in 2024 and not back in the dark ages.