The Order of Business is No. 1, Thirty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution (The Family) Bill 2023 - Second Stage to be taken at 3.15 p.m. and to conclude after two hours if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, all Senators not to exceed ten minutes and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; No. 3, motion regarding the statements for information of voters in relation to the Thirty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution (The Family) Bill 2023 - to be discussed in conjunction with the Second Stage debate but not to be taken until the Report and Final Stages of the Bill have concluded; No. 2, Fortieth Amendment of the Constitution (Care) Bill 2023 - Second Stage, to be taken 15 minutes after the conclusion of No. 1 and to be brought to a conclusion after two hours if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, all Senators not to exceed ten minutes and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; and No. 4, motion regarding the statement of information of voters in relation to the Fortieth Amendment of the Constitution (Care) Bill 2023, to be discussed in conjunction with the Second Stage debate but not to be taken until the Report and Final Stages of the Bill have concluded.
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
I thank the Acting Leader. I now call on the father of the House, Senator David Norris.
I thank the Cathaoirleach. I stand here today to announce that after 36 years, I will be resigning from Seanad Éireann. Following the Order of Business, I will formally submit my letter of resignation to An Cathaoirleach, Senator Buttimer. Before I do so, I will take this opportunity to thank a number of people who have helped me along the way. I will first mention my great friend, the incomparable Miriam Gordon Smith. That applause is richly deserved. I would also like to mention my election agent and friend over 36 years, Mr. Brian Murray.
Brian has stuck with me from my early attempts to my final campaign of 2020, and has been a source of good and honest advice. I will miss our senatorial collaborations.
Second, I thank the very many graduates who have supported me and given me their number one vote consistently over many years. I have tried to represent them to the best of my ability. I would also like to mention all those people who, in the old days, mounted a progress line of people stuffing and folding envelopes, and all that kind of stuff. They were an essential element in the early days.
I voice my appreciation for the many senatorial colleagues, past and present, with whom it has been a pleasure to collaborate. Some names in particular jump to mind, such as Joe O'Toole, Brendan Ryan, Feargal Quinn, Joe Lee, John Crown and Sean Barrett, and, of course, my current colleagues and friends across all parties and none.
Since this is my last opportunity to speak on the floor of this House, I would like to continue to advocate for peace in Palestine, and in particular Gaza. What is happening to the inhabitants of Gaza is appalling and cannot be allowed to continue. Man's inhumanity to man is our greatest shame. It goes completely against the Jewish ethic, which is "l'chaim", or "to life". The present Israeli Government under Netanyahu has committed them to death instead of to life, and to death in overwhelming numbers for the unfortunate trapped citizens of Gaza. I deplore it completely. What is happening is appalling and cannot be allowed to continue. Man's inhumanity to man is our greatest shame. I urge Senators to continue to push for peace in our times.
Finally, I voice my support for the forthcoming referendums on the family. It is important that they succeed, and even though I will be retired, I will be, to the best of my ability, campaigning for their success. I thank Senators very much.
Before I call Senators in the Order of Business, as Cathaoirleach, I thank you, Senator Norris, for your contribution and wish you a long and healthy retirement. Your passion has not diminished, as we can see from your final contribution.
As Senators will know, Senator Norris was first elected in 1987 as an Independent Senator for the University of Dublin, and he has been successfully re-elected at every Seanad election since then. I thank Brian Murray for the wonderful job he has done. I do not know how he managed to handle Senator Norris in all those election campaigns but well done to him.
Senators will know that Senator Norris won nine elections, topping the poll on six of those occasions. Senator, you are the longest serving Senator in the history of Seanad Éireann and you been father of the House for many years now. During your time as a Member of the House, you have sponsored 34 Bills, one as recently as February of last year on domestic violence, which speaks to your lifetime commitment on many issues, including social issues. We thank you for that.
As we said earlier in our conversation, you are not a one-trick pony but a man of many different parts. Your Bills, as I said, covered a wide and diverse range of topics, yet your primary focus was on the issues of human rights and equality, from the abolition of the death penalty, housing, homelessness, disability rights and mental health to the protection of the native Irish honey bee and the prohibition of conversion therapies.
I wish to inform Senators that we have received letters from both An tUachtarán, Michael D. Higgins, and An Taoiseach, Deputy Leo Varadkar, who wish to convey their deep appreciation to Senator Norris. In his letter, an tUachtarán pays generous tribute to you, Senator, and recalls the highlights of your illustrious career, which he describes, very aptly, as a journey of unwavering dedication to public service. President Higgins rightly attributes to Senator Norris a courage beyond the ordinary and predicts that your legacy will be as a champion of equality and diversity and that you will continue to inspire future generations. The President recalls with great pleasure your collaboration when you and he were both Members of the Seanad. He also acknowledges your pride in our nation's rich heritage, which you fostered through your love, care, performance of and devoted passion for James Joyce's rich legacy to world literature.
He concludes by saying, "I wish David Norris every happiness in his retirement and fulfilment as he begins this new chapter in his life." I know the House will agree with the President's aspiration and hope that you will have a well-deserved rest in the knowledge that your work has helped to make Ireland a better place for all.
The Taoiseach, Deputy Leo Varadkar, in his letter, pays tribute to you, Senator Norris, on your leadership on universal and human rights for LGBT people, women and minorities. He says that we stand on your shoulders and that, in your campaigns, you showed true leadership, standing for causes that were unpopular and poorly understood but, above all, were appealing to our best instincts as human beings: kindness, compassion, tolerance and acceptance. The Taoiseach also highlights that since you first became elected, today we now have three members of the Cabinet who are openly gay. The Taoiseach concludes his remarks by thanking you for protecting the heritage of our capital city, from Joyce to Georgian Dublin, and he says that your readings of Ulysses came alive for him in a way that he had never appreciated before.
Senator Norris, on my own behalf and on behalf of the House, I thank you so much. I owe you a huge debt of gratitude that words will never repay. Members of the LGBT community who paid tribute to you here last December rightly paid homage to you for the sterling work, the bravery and the courage you have shown. We thank you and we wish you well.
We thank Miriam Smith and her husband, Noel, who are here today. Miriam has been almost 30 years with Senator Norris. She is a saint beyond words and we thank her so much for that. We thank Noel for being a friend. Both of you shared a love of Miriam and we hope that continues for many years.
I call the iar-Chathaoirleach, Senator Denis O'Donovan.
I rise today with some degree of sadness to address the Seanad and the Cathaoirleach on the farewell to my colleague of approximately 25 years, Senator Norris. Apart from anything else, I would also consider him a good friend.
Hear, hear.
As a university and Independent Senator, you had a remarkable but sometimes - at the start, certainly - difficult career. I started in 1989. You came into the House sometimes swimming against the tide. In that regard, it reminds me an aguisín a lady living close to where I grew up said to my mother: you were the lily among the briars for a long time. In fairness, you stood out and the lily survived.
Looking back over approximately 50 years or more, when you came out openly as gay, which at that time was very courageous and, I suppose, an historic event, it was not an easy decision. Society, in particular the church I was affiliated to, the Catholic Church, actually suppressed all of that idea. I know things have come a long way and the wheel has fully turned, but you were the person who stood proudly behind that.
As a former Cathaoirleach, Leas-Chathaoirleach and colleague, I found you extremely courteous to the office of the Chair and to colleagues here. Your contributions were forthright and concise, and there was no blathering. If you got the bit between your teeth, it was very hard to stop you. You did not suffer fools gladly either, which is an accolade for you.
I must commend you in particular on one issue. In 2013, there was a referendum for the abolition of the Seanad. Had it not been for you, some of your Independent colleagues and people thinking outside the box in Ireland at the time, the Seanad would have been gone. The success rate was 51.7% to 48.3%, so it was a narrow majority. Had it not been for the likes of you standing firm on that issue, the Cathaoirleach would not be here and this Chamber would have gone back to being a ballroom.
Without being in any way facetious or rubbing your ego, in many ways within this Chamber you were a gem. You were a voice for the deprived and you spoke eloquently and passionately on many issues, although I will not go into them all. You were very wise, prudent and knowledgeable on many of the issues that came before us here on justice, the Constitution or other issues.
You had one small failing. You did not know a lot about the fishing industry.
I learned it from you.
I hope you did. You loved your lobster, crab and caviar, and I hope you will have a lot of that when you are out of here.
You may not have time to respond but I have two final questions. What has been your most outstanding success in this Chamber? I know you have had many but is there one that sticks out in your mind? Second, what is the most upsetting and possibly deplorable kick in the teeth that you, as an independent and powerful voice in this Chamber, have had? I am not sure if you have time to elaborate on that but I would like to know for my personal information.
I am honoured to say a few words today in the absence of our leader, Senator Doherty, who is unavoidably absent as she is in Brussels. I was shocked when I heard that Senator Norris was resigning because since I came into this House many moons ago, he was always here. He was always a friend and somebody that you could get advice from. The Senator was captured completely in the words of the Cathaoirleach when he referred to the letter from the President and Taoiseach. In my view, that summed up the real Senator Norris.
Senator Norris is an amazing man. He has fought many battles in this House, sometimes alone. If you had an idea or were speaking on an issue, it was an unbelievable lift to have somebody of the stature of the Senator come in behind you. He had a way with words. He was a champion of the language and would put the final touches to any case raised in this House.
As I said, it has been a honour to serve in this House with Senator Norris. He is one of the finest debaters in this country. On my travels around the country, when people hear I am a Member of the Seanad, they will often ask if I know Senator Norris. He is probably the only Senator I am asked about. I tell people that of course I know him and they ask me what he is like. That is always the next question. There is a certain curiosity about the Senator, and he has lived up to it on many occasions.
I have a very vivid memory from the time of the referendum on the abolition of the Seanad. Most of the Taoiseach's nominees of the then Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, were appointed as Independent Senators, with the result that the voting arrangements at the time were very tight. Of course, Senator Norris knew that because he was well able to add. He knew that when it came to the passing of the legislation on the referendum, the votes would be very tight. He pleaded with me to leave the Chair and come down onto the floor and vote against the Bill. His plea was so passionate that I nearly did leave the Chair and come down onto the floor. When the votes were cast and the sums done it was even-stevens, and I had to use my casting vote to allow the referendum to go ahead. It could only have been blocked anyway. Senator Norris knew the position and he pleaded with me to come down. Of course, he played to the gallery on that occasion as well.
On behalf of the Fine Gael group, I wish the Senator well in his retirement. There are not many people who have retired from the House in my time here. I also wish Senator Ó Donnghaile well in his retirement and for the future. One could count on one hand the number of Senators who have retired from the House. We, in Fine Gael, wish Senator Norris well. He has played a very important role in this Seanad over many years. He is the longest serving Senator in the history of the State. We wish him well and congratulate him on everything he has done.
I acknowledge the presence of the Public Gallery of the former Leader and our colleague and friend, Maurice Cummins. He is very welcome.
I would like to be identified with the sentiments the Cathaoirleach has expressed about the departure from this Chamber of Senator David Norris and to echo the sentiments expressed by the President and Taoiseach of Ireland and the colleagues who have spoken already on this matter.
Senator Norris was elected for the first time in 1987. Believe it or not, I was elected to Dáil Éireann in the same year. It seems a long time ago – a different century. He did something which I never did: that was, he held his seat for all the intervening period. From the moment that he was elected he championed the causes in which he believed. Sometimes we forget in this Chamber that when his fellow Trinity Senator, Mary Robinson, proposed a Bill to repeal the ban on contraception, she could not even get a seconder in this House, even to have it printed. The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin at the time said that her Bill was a curse on this country. Across the intervening decades this society has been transformed.
What I want to say about Senator Norris's contribution is that it has not simply been in the area of gay rights - a cause in which he not merely passionately believed - but in which he acted. He set up the Hirschfeld Centre in which he encouraged other people to stand up for themselves. He brought cases to the Irish courts. Again, to my slight shame, the Irish courts system let him down in the Supreme Court decision, which effectively threw out his case, and he had to go to Strasbourg to put manners on the system of justice which we had at the time. All of that required immense courage. It has been said here - the President said it in his letter - that courage is one of the hallmarks of David Norris's contribution to Irish public life, but it has always been done with a sense of fun and irreverence. He does not take himself all that seriously, although he does have quite an opinion of himself.
Hear, hear.
He is willing to join in laughing at himself. As has been said here today, he has championed the underprivileged. I can attest to that. He has represented the educationally underprivileged graduates of Trinity College a long time. Those of us who represent the graduates of NUI are glad that he has been here to see justice done for that group.
He has, in addition, done so much for other causes – the Palestinians, and issues like South Africa and apartheid that we are all forgetting today. All I want to say is that on behalf of the Independent Group, with whom he has served in recent years, it has been a pleasure dealing with him. We are sorry to see him go. We are glad to see that he is going in good order and with his drums beating still. We wish him every happiness in his future years.
Thank you very much, Michael.
It is a pure honour to be in Senator Norris's company. It did not happen half as much as I would have liked it to have happened. I remember the day I was called up to the Seanad, the first person I thought of was him. I thought he was an inspiring person and that I might actually get to meet him and be in the same room as him. I was completely starstruck. I remember being a very young teenager the day he was elected. He was like a breath of fresh air in politics. I was a complete cynic. I heard a lot of the same voices saying the same things. One sketch said there was a Minister for saying absolutely nothing three different ways, but Senator Norris was the antithesis to that. He was the glimmer of hope I got for caring about politics. He gave me a whole new sense of public service and a deep sense of the responsibility of all of us as a State and a democracy to play our part, whether in public life, through volunteering, or other ways. I always found Senator Norris inspiring in that he stood up, put his head above the parapet and kept it up there. It is still up there. It is not an easy place to be because one always gets shot down by somebody if one puts one's head above the parapet.
Too many people follow the status quo and are silent about many issues we have had in this country for many decades. Senator Norris led the way on many different issues, not just on gay rights. Senator Norris gave everybody, who might have been afraid to speak before, a voice. He has to take a lot of credit for many things that have changed in this country in the last few decades. We had the eighth amendment, gay marriage - of course, Senator Norris was involved in that - and women's rights. As a single mother, I have to say that I found my voice through people like Senator Norris. I hope he realises the reach he has had.
Senator Norris was a maverick and was way before his time. Finally now, some of the systems and State rules have finally caught up with him and it is great to hear that he is supporting the referendum on the family that we are bringing in. That is something that is archaic and decades behind. Senator Norris led the way on that again. I am delighted to hear that he is going to canvas, as I will.
It is really important to recognise people like Senator Norris in order to give other people some hope that they can be part of the solution and part of progress and change. We live in a world, which even in the last few years, has become so polarised. It is all about "us and them" and "I am right and you are wrong". There is no debate. The art of debate is disappearing quickly and in a huge way thanks to social media and political points scoring. Hugely deep issues are being used to score points, as opposed to a focus on resolving them. I find that a lot in politics and it is quite disappointing. When I was in college I loved debating. I have three all-Ireland debating medals as Gaeilge. The art of debate is fading and people like Senator Norris inspired me to go on with that element of debate because the United States has been completely destroyed thanks to this polarisation. I fear that similar things might happen here when I see political points scoring. The Senator is the antithesis of that and is exactly what we need in Irish politics. He is a credit to our country. Ní bheidh do leithéid arís ann. Go raibh míle maith agat.
I thank the Cathaoirleach. It is a privilege to be here at what is the end of an era with the retirement of Senator Norris. He has not just been a strong voice in this Chamber but has been a strong voice nationally and internationally for human rights and gay liberation. He leaves a mark on an Ireland that is much different from the country he was born into. He has set the agenda for the country that we now live in. Thanks to Senator Norris, there are thousands of young gay men, women, trans, non-binary and queers who can live the life they want to with no apology. That is the choice that they can either live a big life or have the right to live a small, happy life, in the way they choose. That is a remarkable achievement and it is something that very few people can put claim to.
It would be remiss of us to be here today though and not raise the issue of what we are seeing happen in Gaza. Since October, what we have been watching has left a scar on the consciousness of most of us. Some 25,000 people are dead, most of them women and children. We are seeing a generation of lost children. Women are having C-sections without anaesthetic. Some 50% of buildings have been destroyed, with no homes for people to return to. We also have an Israeli government that is acting with impunity. It says it will not stop until Hamas-Gaza is destroyed. There is no such thing as a "day after" in this type of war. It is only how people are left to deal with the trauma of what has come before.
In a stunning statement this week, we saw Benjamin Netanyahu say that he does not support a two-state solution, which the international community has hung its coat on for such a long time. The international community has taken a hands-off approach in making no movement towards a peace process or a ceasefire. From our own peace process, we know that a settlement cannot be negotiated until the guns and the bombs are put down. Ireland has been a voice of reason on the international stage and now we need to step that up, using our influence with both the EU and the US to advocate for a ceasefire and permanent peace talks moving to a two-state solution. We know that peace can only take place when hostilities have stopped and we know that one can win the argument and not win the peace. What we need to do is to advocate to try to win the peace.
I thank the Cathaoirleach. I am delighted to rise on behalf of all my colleagues in the Civil Engagement group to pay tribute to our colleague and friend, Senator David Norris. There has been some discussion of his extraordinary achievements, such as his landmark case on the decriminalisation of homosexuality. Something I think is really important was his battle to establish the Oireachtas foreign affairs committee, to make sure there was a strong Oireachtas voice in the world.
With your father.
Yes, exactly, with other representatives at the time. I was thinking about how to capture a sense of what an extraordinary honour it has been to serve in the Seanad alongside Senator Norris. I thought of the legacy and the extraordinary heritage work he has done, along with the work he has done in dragging and pushing Ireland to be a more just, equal and modern place that reflects more of its citizens and deserves its citizens.
He is also a champion of what Joyce called the endless present. There is a line in Ulysses, "Hold to the now, the here, through which all future plunges to the past.” That, in a way, is what being in the Seanad Chamber is like. We are in the present moment and we need to be very present. We try to honour, learn from and draw from the past and, at the same time, build possibilities and hopes and construct legislation we think will shape the future, and we are in that in-between moment. The reference to holding to the now and the here is partly about being open to the absurdities and the humour of the moment, and that is something Senator Norris has always done. Part of it is about responding to the urgencies of the exact moment we are in.
We saw this today in Senator Norris's contribution on the Order of Business when he spoke to the urgencies of now and the urgency of the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, that is, not a conditional, partial or down-the-line ceasefire but an immediate one. He spoke also to the importance of the referendums that will be fought now, in the present, but that will need to draw on our learning from the past and will, we hope, shape a better future. This is part of what it is to be in the here and now, and part of being in the here and now is also, of course, about knowing we exist in a shared world. That is why I think the establishment of that foreign affairs committee, and his consistent work for international human rights as an internationalist, have been extraordinary and have set a tone for this Chamber in engaging in that way.
I acknowledge also that Senator Norris was a champion of the Seanad when others made a short-sighted proposal to abolish the House, and he is a champion also of it doing more. His long-standing work, which we must continue, on Standing Order 41 will not be forgotten and we will continue to strengthen our scrutiny of legislation. His impact extends far beyond the confines of this Chamber. He is a source of inspiration, hope and solidarity to many in Irish society and throughout the world, and I thank him very much for all he has done and will continue to do.
David has been a towering political campaigner, academic and historian. He is the longest serving Member of this House for good reason. I recall reading that his love of performance came partly from his first experiences in the Players Theatre at Trinity College Dublin, but I think it was a meeting of the Sexual Liberation Movement, SLM, in 1973 that seeded his gay rights activism. Like most gay men and women, he knew he was gay from the age of nine, and once described going to bed crying and praying it was all a mistake – meet your sister, by the way - and said losing himself in books had helped him forget he was different. Some of his college friends at the time convinced him in 1961 to go to Bartley Dunne's and that was his first exposure to Dublin's gay subculture. I think it was the meeting of the Sexual Liberation Movement 12 years later that profoundly impacted on Irish society eventually but also on him. SLM included among its members Edmund Lynch, rest in peace, rest in power-----
Hear, hear.
-----who was responsible for introducing David to that group, I believe, as well as Mary Dorcey, Hugo McManus, Margaret McWilliams and Michael Kerrigan.
The SLM campaigned on a wide platform of reform around abortion, divorce, contraception and gay rights. With Belfast's Gay Liberation Society, SLM hosted Ireland's first symposium on homosexuality in February 1974. Within a year of that, there were organisations right across the island, including in Belfast and Dublin. The Senator was instrumental in founding the Irish gay rights movement.
The Senator was the first gay Irishman to appear on television. He expressed his aim of abolishing Victorian legislation and with then Senator Mary Robinson as senior counsel, the case would take 11 years to wind its way from the High Court to the Supreme Court and eventually to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Along the way, the Senator continued to champion the needs and rights of Ireland's embattled sexual minorities by founding the National Gay Federation, now the LGBT Federation. In 1979, the Senator advanced a personal bank loan to help to open the Hirschfeld Centre, Dublin's second attempt at an LGBT community resource centre. At the time, it was one of the first of its kind in the world.
As others have mentioned, the Senator has been a champion for the people in Palestine and Gaza, for Dublin's metro, for North Great George's Street and the preservation society; the list goes on and on. He has been a huge inspiration to me and so many others. I hope in his retirement he enjoys a newfound freedom. He will now have the time to finish the things he has not yet finished.
It is a sad day for many of us to see Senator Norris reach a point where he has decided to hang up his work in this House. I had the pleasure of getting to know him when I was first elected to the House in 2002. On behalf of a bunch of us then newcomers, I thank him for the way in which he assisted us in feeling at home. It was quite a daunting encounter for the many of us who were elected for the first time to come into a Chamber which is intimate in nature and in which there were powerful speakers, great orators, such as the Senator. He always encouraged us and whatever we might have said or whatever approach we might have taken, the Senator always had a word of encouragement when we walked out or went for a coffee afterwards. That was very helpful to us.
We also learned from the way in which the Senator went about his business and his history prior to our election to the House. He showed that populism is not the only way to gain the respect of the public. He showed that by being a lone voice, on occasion, the power of the reasoned argument could bring people around. It might take longer and it might take more work, and one might take a bit of flak along the way, but it is the right thing to do. Being in the herd - and perhaps the Senator did not feel comfortable as part of the herd - is the easy way out and would allow one to be elected and re-elected. The Senator has shown a generation of politicians that if you believe in something and you believe it is right, you should stick with it and the time will come.
Others have referenced the Senator's challenge of the orthodoxy of the Catholic Church, which at the time was not an easy path to follow because of the church's dominance. During the early stages of my time in this House, a group of nuns made a request to visit Leinster House. I took them to the restaurant and the Senator was there. Also present were senior Government Ministers and people who might have had greater notoriety but the only one the nuns wanted to meet was Senator Norris. I suspect their mother superior would not have been entirely enamoured with his being the person they most wanted to meet but that shows the power to change the Senator had. Many people believed in him but were not prepared, or were afraid, to admit it. Once the glass ceiling started to shatter, the Senator shone through. His work and what he has achieved are testament to his approach, his work, his commitments and his belief. I thank him for his friendship over the past 20 years.
Like others, I must say this is a sad day, but it is also a day of celebration and recognition when we get to say very nice things about our good friend. When we think of words to describe Senator Norris, and many have been mentioned, the word "courage" occurs. What he did over the years took enormous courage.
He did use the media when he needed to use the media but he took it on as well. We were all delighted when he won his court cases against the media when it wronged him in 2013. Maybe we need some people of courage to take on social media and the people who operate it in the same way that Senator Norris did back then. I also think of the word "inspiration". Many people who do not have the privilege of being Members of this House have been inspired by the career of probably the greatest Senator in my lifetime.
Another word I would use to describe Senator Norris is "encouragement". I remember when I was first elected here 13 years ago as somebody from the west of Ireland with a disability who was somewhat different and trying to find my feet in this House. Aside from the former leader of this House, Maurice Cummins, the one person who really encouraged me was Senator Norris. He would have a word with you and tell you it was good and that you would make a difference but that you just had to keep at it. He spoke to other great people who were here, one of whom I knew, namely former Senator Sean Barrett. I think about the contributions of Sean Barrett, Feargal Quinn and David Norris in the period from 2011 to 2015. Back then, Senator Norris spoke all the time on the Order of Business. At the end of the day, you could not disagree with him. The one thing I want to thank him for is his decency and friendship. Over the years and certainly in my early years, people such as family members would be up from home. You would ring Miriam Smith to find out whether Senator Norris was around because they wanted to meet him. He never said "No". He always gave of his time. People loved him and we all love him.
I congratulate my cousin Senator Norris on his resignation, which took us all by surprise for all of the reasons set out here. I also want to mention Senator Ó Donnghaile and wish him and his family well.
Senator Norris has been a great inspiration for me. I remember back in the mid-1980s as a student in Trinity College - before the development of Temple Bar, when the city centre was a dark place - encountering him in a horse and carriage going up Dame Street. He was shouting out the door "roll up for the Bram Stoker weekend in Trinity College" so he was always a bright light in what was at times a dark horizon and he certainly inspired me in my fight. I have had my experience of adversity. I have seen where our ideas may fall on sterile ground and as somebody said, where you find yourself among briars but certainly Senator Norris has always been a great inspiration for me. In 2016, I decided with my son Eoghan, who is a wheelchair user and is well known to all Senators, to run for election. I thought that as a courtesy I should tell Senator Norris. I entertained the foolish, naive and forlorn idea that maybe he would say "oh well, I'll hand over to you" and he would give me an endorsement so I rang him and told him that I was going to run on the Trinity panel. He said "oh well, that's marvellous news" and then he said "however, you will fail". He was correct. In saying that, he went on to elaborate and to tell me that you have to try. He quoted Beckett: "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better". His generosity over the years, his mentoring spirit and his friendship have been very generous in that regard.
Finally I wish to mention Miriam Smith because in all the years of contact I have had with Senator Norris and his support for us and for Eoghan getting into St. Andrew's College, which was an act of great generosity, she has been a wonderful person. Finally, I will quote James Joyce:
The time had come for him to set out on his journey westward. Yes, the newspapers were right: snow was general all over Ireland.
I know there will be sadness all over Ireland. Ní bheidh do leithéid arís ann. Go well and enjoy many years of happy retirement.
I join in the words of welcome to Miriam and her husband, to Senator Norris's director of elections and to my great friend, the former Leader of this House, Maurice Cummins. It is great to see them here today.
This is a sad day and a happy day. It is a day that we hoped would never come, but it has. That is your decision, Senator Norris, and I wish you well in it.
I have a number of speaking notes. I will call them speaking notes because Senator Dooley referred to 2002, when we first came to the Seanad. Senator Norris took issue with the fact that some of us had scripts so I refer now to my speaking notes.
As the Cathaoirleach mentioned, David Norris is not and never has been a one trick pony. His interests are almost as diverse as his opinions. Senator Norris has spoken knowledgeably on many matters since taking his place in the 18th Seanad in April 1987, including gay rights, human rights, health, education, finance, industry and conservation. He is a former lecturer and a celebrated Joycean scholar who has brought Bloomsday and James Joyce to a worldwide audience, which is another feather in his well-plumed hat.
On his first day in this House, Senator Norris showed how serious he was with his first Adjournment matter, a motion calling for the Government's response to the question of public education with regard to AIDS and funding thereof at the earliest possible date, and while his motion was not accepted by the Cathaoirleach of the day who advised that it was a topic too wide to be discussed within the time constraints of the Adjournment, Senator Norris's acceptance of the decision and immediate notice to the Cathaoirleach that he would raise the matter as a substantive motion along with then Senator Mary Robinson was a sign of things to come from this pioneering and progressive Senator who put forward inclusion repeatedly in his contributions.
Senator Norris's keen interests in housing, planning and conservation not only showed in his passion for the restoration of his own house in Dublin's north inner city, but in his concerns about the destruction of Georgian streetscapes, the condition of artworks in the National Gallery and the upkeep and maintenance of this building and complex we are in. I know my time is up and my notes are too extensive.
In wrapping up, Senator Norris was referred to by the former Cathaoirleach, Senator O'Donovan, as a gem. I know one of Senator Norris's favourite singer-songwriters was Christie Hennessy and he had a song, "I Am A Star". Senator Norris, you are a star and that star will shine brightly for decades to come. I wish you nothing but the best of luck into the future.
This is a special day. I have to right a wrong that was committed ten years ago on Senator Norris. My 11-year-old daughter at the time, my eldest daughter, Róisín, met Senator Norris in the canteen. He bought her her tea and, as a gesture towards him, she gave me a box of what we did not know. Senator Norris has a vice, and it is not alcohol. Senator Norris is addicted to teacakes. She gave me a box 11 years ago to give to him. Somehow they never got to him; they disappeared in my office. When she heard yesterday that this day was coming up, she went down the town and bought two boxes of them, and they are here for you, Senator Norris.
That is a first on the Seanad floor. Not to be consumed in the Seanad Chamber, let me add.
Will there be one everyone in the audience? Senator Norris, it has been an absolute honour to share this Chamber with you. Today, I can only acknowledge the tributes that have been paid to you and add my voice to them. You have left Ireland a better country and there is no better tribute that someone can pay than that. You have done that for the people of Ireland and people who fought battles. When you stood, and you stood alone at times, there were so many who stood in silence in support. Today, their voices ring strong and true throughout the country.
Senator Norris, I would have known you first when I lived in Summerhill on North Circular Road, where your home was. You were always so supportive of the older mansions and houses in Dublin, and when your home was opened up for viewing, it really gave an insight into the beauty in our city. You have always spoken about that. Lately, of course, we sometimes do not hear so much about the beauty in our city, and on the northside.
The Senator has been a shining light and, as we have heard, a star in that area. I thank him for that. Although I am a woman from the west of Ireland, beauty in all parts of our country is something we need to acknowledge. I wish he would be here so I would get the chance to know him a little better but I thank him for everything he has done to date and I am glad to have shared some time with him.
I join my Labour Party colleagues, and all colleagues, in paying tribute to Senator Norris. To be elected to Seanad Éireann is a privilege in itself for any of us. However, to be elected and to serve alongside a brilliant mind, a brilliant agitator and a brilliant campaigner is indeed a real honour. As Senator Garvey said, as new Senators we obviously would have loved to have seen more of him in this Seanad term but as somebody who was in senior infants when he was first elected to the Seanad, he was the public face and was synonymous with Seanad Éireann. In the minds of thousands of people across this country, he was what Seanad Éireann was meant to be - holding the Government to account, being that independent strong voice and saying things the Dáil often does not allow space for. He leaves an incredible legacy across many aspects of life in Ireland. That we have a much more progressive country now than the country in which he first became politically active is a huge credit to his perseverance, tenacity and campaigning, alongside many others, over those years. Former Senator Mary Robinson has been mentioned a number of times today. I am also conscious that all of us here are here because of the people with us. Tributes have been paid to Miriam and to the rest of the Senator's team. It is enormous credit to see re-election year after year. Politics have become polarised and divisive now, particularly when we look at other countries. However, examples like that given by Senator Norris showed what was possible at a time when it was dark. I love the phrase used by Senator O'Donovan of "the lily among the briars" in showing that change is possible and through perseverance, we can have a different country. I wish him the very best in what hopefully are many years to come. I thank him for all of his work and what he leaves behind in his contribution to Irish life.
It is lovely to be here in the Seanad. As other new Senators have said, it is a regret that we have not shared the experience of having Senator Norris in this Chamber for longer and as often as we wanted to hear from him. In April 1987, I was four years of age. He has been my normal. His representation, his flamboyance, his speaking skills and his pride in who he is have been my normal, growing up. To have that cannot be underestimated. I was one of those children who religiously tuned into "Oireachtas Report". It was a great show and should not have been taken off our screens. Every single evening when "Oireachtas Report" was on, I tuned in. Who was listening to? I was listening to him. It shaped my life and the life of this country, and it shaped us all for the better. I thank him for that on behalf of my generation and the generations to come, because it is a life well spent. For his future, I wish him the best of health and happiness and I hope he continues to do what he does outside this House but still making an impact in here. Gabhaim buíochas leis and wish him the best of luck.
What can I say? Farewell, my friend. I will start by saying I was greatly honoured that Senator Norris nominated me to contest the Seanad elections - as did former Senator Feargal Quinn and former Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan. They were all Independents of great stature. It might sound facetious and arrogant but I chose my own nominators. I was delighted that each of those of such high calibre, in particular Senator Norris, should nominate me to contest these elections as an Independent.
You were a strong Independent voice. I will follow and not repeat what many other people have said. I particularly acknowledge Miriam here today, because I know she was the very backbone of Senator Norris's campaign and team. Atypical of any political colleague, David chose his own time. What a unique thing to do in politics. You chose your own time in this parliamentary Chamber that you so valued, loved and respected, to take your last bow as Seanadóir. You are a man of true grit, energy, charm, compassion and, as others have said, a great orator. They are all qualities used effectively in this Parliament and beyond to great effect. You are articulate, debonair, persuasive, driven, imaginative, flamboyant, and the ultimate showman, a skill you also used to great effect in the past, which I know you will continue to do.
I wish you, David, a warm farewell. This is not a sad day. You have done your work. I think of someone else who talked about doing the State some service in the Lower House. You have done more than some service to the State. Your courageous advocacy will be your enduring legacy. I wish you well and every happiness and joy in the future years that you have.
I want to add my voice and take the opportunity to wish Senator Norris very well on his retirement. As others have said, I have not had the opportunity to work directly with you, but your reputation and legacy is next to none. I do not think there is a person in this House who did not know who you were when they came in here. You have impressed others to enter politics because you have been a champion for inclusion, progress, and making society a warmer, more welcoming place for everybody who lives within it.
I would also like to take the opportunity to wish my colleague and friend, Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile, well, who has also announced his retirement. Like Senator Norris, he is a strong voice for equality and inclusion. He is a Gaeilgeoir and passionate about the Irish language. He is passionate about the Good Friday Agreement and those who live in the North. He always brought the issues to this House and made us all aware. I wish both Senator Norris and Senator Ó Donnghaile the very best in their retirement. They are both hard acts to follow, but the show must go on, as they say. Best of luck to you in the future.
I am happy to be here, Senator Norris. It is great to see you beaming in the Chamber. You look well, which is great. We were all so concerned about your health over a period and it is fantastic to see you looking so well. I am a latecomer to this House, but my word, you have been so friendly, helpful and caring. Your good friend and my good friend, former Cathaoirleach and Senator Brian Mullooly, constantly asks and talks about you, as did the former Cathaoirleach, now deceased, Seán Doherty. They spoke volumes about your contributions but also about your fairness. I came across one phrase. I will be honest that I got it off the Internet. I will not refer to my age. Too many people referred to their age today. I am not as young as some of those people who spoke. I came across a phrase that is very apt today. A bird does not sing because it has an answer; it sings because it has a song. My word, have you sung that song, and everybody has now listened to that song. Your wonderful contribution to Irish politics and life will not be forgotten. You have been diligent, energetic, unflagging, dynamic and caring. You have a wonderful sense of humour. I wish you the very best for the future.
I seek leave of the House to take No. 14 on today's Order Paper before No. 1, so I can introduce my cross-party Bill entitled Domestic Violence (Amendment) Bill 2024. Currently, a person who is charged with breaching a domestic violence protective order of any kind can only be prosecuted in a summary fashion and the accused always faces a lighter bail regime. Domestic violence is often all about vulnerability. Victims of domestic violence will be heartened to learn that as one of his final parliamentary procedural acts, in such a distinguished career, Senator Norris has kindly co-sponsored the Bill that I propose to introduce today.
A hallmark of Senator Norris's career has been standing up for and being a voice for the vulnerable, for those who may not have a voice. The names of Senator William Butler Yeats and Senator David Norris come to mind today, two people who have served this House with distinction. They were brilliant ambassadors for the Upper House. Norris and Yeats, or is it Yeats and Norris? It is not the name of a New York law firm, nor is it the name of a play on Broadway but perhaps it should be. No, they are two people who had a powering presence. All his life, Senator Norris has railed against, metaphorically speaking, more modern types of lockouts. The original lockout was famously described by Yeats as follows:
But fumble in a greasy till,
And add the halfpence to the pence
And prayer to shivering prayer, until
You have dried the marrow from the bone
Senator Norris has ensured that the marrow has not been dried from the bone. I wish you well in retirement and the next chapter of your life. Romantic Ireland is not dead and gone as long as the Norris legacy lives on.
The Senator requires a seconder. Given that he mentioned that Senator Norris was a signatory to the Bill, in a departure from our usual procedure, I will ask Senator Norris to formally second the Bill.
I formally second the Bill.
In October 2014, when I came in here for the by-election count, which saw me into this House, it was initially very difficult to get to the Ceann Comhairle’s dining room. When I eventually arrived down there, the one person who stood beside me as the count took place was you, Senator Norris. I will never forget your generosity on that day.
My sister sent me a text this morning in which she asked me tell David Norris that she has admired him all her life. That is what people out there think. When you think of Seanad Éireann, you think of David Norris and the rest of us fall in somewhere behind that. Thank you for that, Senator.
On the day that David Norris is retiring, it is ironic that I must draw Senators' attention to the House being used as a rubber stamp for the Bills to give effect to the thirty-ninth and fortieth amendments to the Constitution. It is appalling that 90 minutes have been allocated for these debates, with 20 minutes for the Minister and 70 minutes to be divided between 60 Senators. To meet the ballot date of 8 March, the deadline for the Bill passes on 23 January. This House that Senator Norris loves and cherishes and in which he has spent years defending democracy and has stood with people like Feargal Quinn to ensure it was not abolished in a referendum is being used as a rubber stamp with little or any care for its Members or anything they have to say. Bringing a Bill to this House and not providing sufficient time to debate and making it perfectly clear that no amendments will be entertained under any circumstances is repugnant to the democracy of this country and to everything David Norris ever stood for. I do not care which side of the referendums Senators are on; they need proper democratic debate, which is what this House is here for. If the Government does not want to do that, it should abolish the goddamn House and get rid of us all.
The Senator might wish to amend his remarks. Two hours have been allocated, not 90 minutes. I am sure the Leader, who sets the business, will outline that later but to clarify it is not 90 minutes.
I, too, wish to add to the comments made about Senator Norris and wish him every good health as he leaves the House today. For me, it is about kindness. That does not get mentioned very often in this House but you have shown me tremendous kindness, Senator. You have always had something positive to say to me any time you met me, and I value that. It was lovely to hear the story Senator Wilson told about his daughter, that people remember your kindness in life.
That is something I will cherish. Senator Norris is a very colourful, flamboyant individual who is extremely eloquent. People talked about his legacy in the context of legislation in this country and what he did for minority voices on the island. He will not be forgotten by anybody in the House or by society in general. The things he did for minority voices will live long in the history of the nation.
I lend my commiserations to Sinn Féin, which has lost Senator Ó Donnghaile. He was a very strong advocate for northern voices in the House. He was one of the few people who always spoke to me in the corridor. He, too, showed me kindness, and for that I will be truly grateful.
I wish good health to Senator Norris and to Miriam as she retires. She is also starting a different era and is leaving many friends in the House. I hope she will come back to see us many times in the future.
I thank Members for their contributions. It is a mark of the esteem in which we all hold Senator Norris that the Order of Business has been exclusively about his contribution to public life. We thank him for that contribution and wish him many years of retirement. The old adage is that political careers end in failure. The Senator's is ending in anything but failure. We wish him well.
I again thank Senator Ó Donnghaile for his courtesy and his participation as a Member of the House. As other Senators said, he was a strong advocate for the North, the Irish language and, in particular, an Cumann Lúthchleas Gael. He was a person with whom you could have a disagreement on a political level but on a personal level you were always able to have a cup of tea or a chat with him. He was a very nice, gentle, kind person. I wish him every success in his retirement.
As the bell is about to go, the last word goes to Senator O'Sullivan.
I thank the Cathaoirleach. I appreciate his indulgence. I am sorry for being late. I had a difficult passage. I had to chop down a few trees, ford a few streams and kill a few men to get here-----
We hope you did not kill men or women.
-----but I would not have missed this for anything. I will say a few words about my dear friend Senator Norris, who is a legend in his own lifetime and who gave a lifetime of service to the House. I am very proud to say that I spent 16 years with him and got to know and respect him highly. He is beloved throughout the country. If we ever had visitors to the Houses, they would naturally want to see the Taoiseach or the Tánaiste, but the next person they would always want to see was David Norris, which they brought back to counties Kerry or Cork or wherever they came from. Senator Norris's contribution to society, especially in freeing the lives of homosexual people, will be his testimony for all time.
I have heard him speak in the House in all of his moods. I heard him when he was breathtaking, super-imaginative and all-encompassing, and I heard him when he was catty, awkward and obstreperous, but he was always interesting and always somebody you would love to listen to. He will be sorely missed.
I am totally out of breath. I had lots more I would love to say-----
You are going well.
-----but I am glad I made it. Thank you so much, Cathaoirleach.
Twenty-one Senators contributed - it was 20 until Senator O'Sullivan came in - and all of them paid glowing tribute to Senator Norris. It is now my turn to do so as Acting Leader on this very special day. It is a great honour.
Senator Norris is the longest-serving Senator for a reason. That reason relates to everything people spoke about today, namely, his dedication to public service and his courage and commitment to causes that were very unpopular. The action he took in speaking about his personal life was an inspiration to many young people coming up and to people of his own generation who suffered in silence for years and years and felt outcast by society. What he did by bringing challenges to the State, getting knocked back by the courts here and going as far as the European Court of Human Rights in 1988, was ground-breaking. It showed people in Ireland that if we are not willing to act and modernise as a country, someplace else will tell us and hold us up to shame.
As a young law student, one of the first cases we came across in constitutional law was your case, Senator Norris, and I was always fascinated by it. It was a great thrill to get to meet you and be a colleague of yours when I was elected a number of years ago, a sentiment that has been expressed by many other colleagues in the House. Thank you very much for all you have done because that shattering of the glass ceiling, as it were, in the modernisation of this country led to a ripple effect. Women, who had been very much under the cosh in this country, started to gain more rights and more confidence to advocate for ourselves. We have seen huge strides and you have been to the fore in that, whether that has been the introduction of contraception or divorce and many other causes you have championed.
I do not think anybody mentioned that you, Senator Norris, are a member of the Church of Ireland and that this is a very important part of your personality, background and voice. One of the reasons this Chamber was created on the foundation of the State was to give minorities a voice. Your Church of Ireland heritage is very important to him and to this House and everything that is done in it. Thank you very much for bringing that level of diversity to this House. I wish you all the very best in the next chapter of your life and hope you will come back and say hello to us every so often. Enjoy your retirement. You have well deserved it now at this stage. It is a great honour to serve here with you. We will all miss you but we hope we will all be here when you come back to visit us.
I also pay tribute to Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile, as mentioned by some colleagues. Niall and I were actually elected in the same week, so I know him quite well, and we have served together on a number of committees. I was very sad to hear he was resigning and retiring from the House before Christmas because he brought an extra layer of diversity as well. I am sure we all wish him very well in the next stage of his life. I am sure we have not seen the last of Niall Ó Donnghaile.
I also pay tribute to a former Member of this House, Tom Hussey, who passed away, as mentioned by the Cathaoirleach.
Three Senators, namely Senators Moynihan, Higgins, and Norris himself, made reference to the situation in Gaza. I believe we all speak with one voice when I say we are absolutely appalled at the worsening situation in Gaza. Every single life is precious, whether that is an Israeli life or a Palestinian life. Every life is equal; every life is precious. We know from our own experience that the only way forward is through peaceful negotiation. Escalating violence and bloodshed on both sides will never solve anything. If we want to see peace, as we have established peace in this country, a ceasefire is what is needed and that is the only way a route forward can be devised from this appalling situation. I know this is something on which the Tánaiste is actively working on behalf of the State.
I am very glad to see the domestic violence Bill brought in by Senator Martin. In a previous life, I did a lot of work in this area. He pointed out a big flaw in the current system, so I look forward to that Bill coming before us.
In response to Senator Craughwell, the referendum Bill is scheduled for two hours and I suspect that will be adequate time to debate it. That is the Order of Business.
I doubt it very much.
Is the Acting Leader accepting Senator Martin's amendment to the Order of Business?
Yes, I am.
I also welcome our colleague and friend, an t-iar-Sheanadóir, current Teachta Dála and leader of the Labour Party, Deputy Bacik, to the Gallery to express her thanks to Senator Norris. She is very welcome.
Senator Vincent P. Martin has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business, "That No. 14 be taken before No. 1." It has been seconded by Senator Norris. The Acting Leader has indicated she is prepared to accept this amendment. Is that agreed? Agreed.
Is the Order of Business, as amended, agreed to?
Not agreed.