I second the amendment.

There is a scene in the movie “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” when, and I forget the name of the characters involved, the maid in the house is so exasperated that she says to the lead character, played by Katharine Hepburn, that she knows nothing no more, to which, Katharine Hepburn, says that nobody knows nothing no more. That is how I feel when I contemplate the many appalling casual and damaging provisions of this legislation. I do not know what I should think about the provision of the Bill that states that some…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit for her presence here. I remember feeling real sorrow when the eighth amendment was repealed and deleted from our Constitution. I thought that something really good, which recognised the dignity of everybody in our society, had been lost. I felt sorrow when the quite wide-ranging legislation for abortion passed subsequently. At the time I said, and I will say again today, that there is a generation of people of all ages coming forward who see clearly that the dignity of the human…

I thank the Acting Chairperson, but we are talking about a life-and-death issue and this is why it is important. As I said earlier on today, I am not here to repeat myself about anything but this is a life or death issue and it has to be spoken about. This Bill will offend many people's sense of propriety, their sense of justice and their sense of a democracy. It is not a good achievement but it reflects the move that is on in our society. When Bill and Hillary Clinton were promoting abortion rights in the United S…

That is just intolerance. I am sorry.

It is 4.20 p.m.

It is 4.20 p.m.

I do not intend to go on much longer but it is 4.20 p.m. on a working day, not 7.20 p.m. Let us please all allow each other to do our jobs. This issue may not matter to other Members as it does to me.

It matters to me and to Senator Keogan because we are trying to hold up-----

I will conclude shortly but I was interrupted in an unfair way. Let us be honest; there are other Members of this House who have the same concerns that Senator Keogan and I have. We should all ask ourselves what it says about our democracy that only two Members would stand for any of these votes. Many of the Government politicians will canvass people and express private sympathy with their concerns about this. They will stand outside churches and canvass since Members are talking about religious people. Let us acce…

It is just a bit of smoke screening and I can live with that. It hides a weak argument.

I wish to raise a couple of items relating to the census. I heard Senator Malcolm Byrne refer to people who would obstruct the work of the census or make life difficult for census enumerators as "muppets". I certainly have no sympathy with any such obstructive tactics by people, but it is important to say that part of the democratic contract between us and which binds us to the State is that in return for our compliance we can expect fairness, accuracy, transparency, accountability and adherence to high standards. …

I will finish. We cannot expect all 5,000 census enumerators to be able to provide the service through Irish, but there must be a mechanism provided for Irish speakers if we are serious about what we say about the importance of the Irish language.

Can the Senator define them? I am sure we will agree on some of them, but not on some of the other things the Senator might describe.

On authentic rights, yes, but perhaps not on the fuzzy stuff the Senator comes up with.

The Senator caused it.

Come on, Senator. That is rubbish.

Surgery on underage kids to change their life-----

That is some people's definition.

We all have views in respect of authentic human rights.