I thought the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, came in to give the condemnation that the Tánaiste did not give, but there you go.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. These were supposed to be referendums related to gender equality, yet here we are with two Bills, one on care and the other on family, which would appear not to advance anything for people's practical day-to-day needs but which remove the words "mother", "home" and "woman" from the Constitution, and gut the meaning of "family". The mystery of how we ended up here is compounded by the fact that we have not had pre-legislative scrutiny on either of these Bills. My friend and colleague, Se…

Is it going to be a referendum of the Green Party?

Why is the Minister guarding with special care then the institution of marriage from attack? Is there any reason for that?

Why? What is so special about it?

But why? The Minister is changing that.

What has it got over durable relationships? What particular protection should it have from attack?

The special position has nothing to do with family, that is what the Minister is saying.

The special position had nothing to do with families. Is that the Minister's position?

It is nothing to do with family?

What is special about marriage?

This has not been thought through.

Talk about inventing things.

On a point of order, it may be that by extending the time by a few minutes, it would enable everybody to speak. The Acting Leader and the Minister might be amenable to that. I thought I would raise it at this point.

That is why I raised it now because perhaps the necessary permission could be sought.

We could adjourn Second Stage until tomorrow.

I have a happy memory of my late grandfather, John Hobbs, who, when in a relaxed - perhaps post-libatory - state, said to me on more than one occasion, "Mind your mother. You could have 40 fathers but you will only have one mother". Even in the early 1980s, in my early teenage years, I had an idea of what he meant. I suspect that an awful lot of people, mothers included, feel there is something particularly special about the role of a mother in our lives in the family. One only has to go to a funeral where one will…

Vótáil.

Next week.

International Women's Day would be a good day for it.