Spring legislative programme
Senator Bacik welcomes the extensive spring and summer legislative programme and urges progress on employment equality legislation.
I also welcome the extensive legislative programme for the spring and summer session until the end of July. I note that there are 41 Bills on the "A" list. I very much welcome publication of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill and the fact that the Gender Recognition Bill will commence in this House tomorrow. Some very important legislation is on the agenda. Will the Leader make efforts to ensure the Employment Equality (Amendment)(No. 2) Bill which will amend section 37 of the Employment Equality Act and ensure greater equality for LGBT employees, in particular, in the areas of health and education will resume on Committee Stage and pass through Report Stage in the Seanad before the end of February in order that it might be passed into law by Easter? I am conscious, as we all are, of the marriage equality referendum which is to be held in May . I welcome the extensive support evident in opinion polls for such a measure, but it is clear that there cannot be any complacency about it. We need to lay the legislative groundwork for it, not only with the Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill but also with the child and family relationships Bill. I ask the Leader to ensure we will have time set aside for Committee and Report Stages of the Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill.