Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There has been extensive pre-legislative scrutiny. I know from another Bill I was personally involved in that it not a case that it happens over there and we are not allowed in the room. We are allowed to be in the room. I attended the deliberations of the Dáil select committee on assisted human reproduction, AHR, and made it my business to speak to TDs who were going in and to anticipate what was going to come up. Not only that, but we can send a text message to someone at the table, including the Minister. To be fair, the Minister's colleague, Deputy Donnelly, was open to being pestered by me throughout that process. To characterise any of this as undemocratic is not reasonable.

In the past 24 hours, there has been a characterisation of Government Senators as not having done anything on disability for the past four years. Many of us have spent 24-7 working with disability organisations and doing everything we possibly can. We are known personally and are on speed dial with people. We are responsive to anything that arises. I have had people to dinner in my home, gone to their homes and spent extensive time in recent years working on disabilities. There is a characterisation of us simply because we do not agree with amendments or choose to air our influence in the context of a parliamentary party and vote with a Whip because we have influence in that place and speak to it. The evidence is that the Taoiseach has a special disabilities group in his Department. A heap of Ministers have worked exceptionally well in the past few years in trying to deliver for disabilities. Are we there? By no means. I acknowledge that absolutely. I fully respect all the organisations. However, no entity and no one Senator has the unique preserve to speak on behalf of all disabilities in the country.The characterisation of Government Senators has been completely unacceptable and disrespectful to the democratic process and to all our hard work over recent years. I needed to put that on record because there was a characterisation of me yesterday that was deeply unfair and grossly inaccurate.