Senator Ronan Mullen has condemned the guillotining of today’s debate on the Civil Partnership Bill in the Seanad..jpg)
The Seanad was debating a series of amendments tabled by a number of senators including Ronan Mullen, Jim Walsh, John Hanafin and Labhras O Murchu. The amendments included a conscience clause.
The Bill was at Committee Stage when the guillotine was used. Yesterday during the Second Stage in the Seanad one senator after another condemned the notion of a conscience clause. The Green’s Dan Boyle said it would allow for ‘discrimination’.
The guillotine was used today after only 4.5 hours of debate. Senate leader, Senator Donie Cassidy proposed the guillotining of the remaining stages, with support from Fine Gael and Labour and others including Senator David Norris.
Describing the move as a ‘new low’ Senator Mullen said this would contribute further to the contempt in which many people hold the Upper House.
Sen Mullen responded to claims that he had ‘filibustered’ on certain amendments by recalling that Sen Eugene Regan had admitted to spending two hours on a single amendment on one occasion.
“What was in fact robust debate and analysis, some politicians chose to regard as a filibuster. Back in 1988, the Seanad debated the scrapping of County Committees of Agriculture until 5 o’clock in the morning,” Senator Mullen said.
“It seems that vital legislation affecting family life and conscientious objection in Irish law is to be accorded less priority than the need of politicians to get out of Leinster House by 6 o’clock on a Thursday evening.”
“This makes a mockery of Minister Dermot Ahern’s claim that he had refused to engage with myself and others in the media because he believed the Oireachtas was the appropriate place to scrutinise legislation thoroughly.
“This excuse rings rather hollow now,” Sen Mullen added.
“The Government was happy to have a cosy debate in the Dail when there was no substantial opposition and no amendments. But they ran away from thorough scrutiny by the Seanad of the various unjust proposals contained within the Civil Partnership Bill.”
“The so-called liberal voices in Labour and Fine Gael went missing yesterday when there were calls for a free vote. Today they turned their backs on free speech.”