I congratulate all those involved in the launch of the Yes Equality civil society campaign in Dublin yesterday. It was a very successful campaign and a large number of people turned out from various organisations and NGOs, all of whom combined under the Yes Equality banner. It is ten and half weeks until the referendum on 22 May. The launch was a very positive sign of a very strong and, I hope, successful “Yes” campaign. However, it is important, as the organisers stressed, that the campaign not be dominated by political parties, although it is very welcome that they support it. While all political parties are supporting the referendum, it was important to see civil society groups represented so strongly yesterday. It is vital that they be to the forefront of the “Yes” campaign for equality.

I ask for a debate on the question of mortgage arrears. The debate might best take place in this House once the review of the Insolvency Service of Ireland has been completed. I understand it is near completion and that the Government will be announcing new measures in April, with a focus on ensuring the safeguarding of the family home. Everyone here is very concerned about newspaper reports about increasing numbers of repossession proceedings being launched, albeit that the number of repossession orders granted has happily been small. The overall number of people whose mortgage accounts are in arrears is declining but, that said, there is no doubt that the take-up of the insolvency service has been disappointing. It is important that Government policy now focus on those individuals whose mortgages are in arrears for more than two years. We must also focus on the retention of the family home. I welcome the initiative taken by Deputy Willie Penrose in the other House to introduce a new Bill to reform further the law on bankruptcy. We reformed it in 2012 and had a very good debate in this House. Senator Feargal Quinn and others made a very strong contribution on what is now the Personal Insolvency Act. The bankruptcy period of 12 years, which had been in place in Irish law until 2012, was far too long, and there is no doubt about that. The reduction of the period to three years was a significant improvement but a question now arises as to whether that is enough, particularly in light of British bankruptcy law. Deputy Penrose's Bill seeks to address that by reducing the period further. I hope we can have a debate in this House in April on all these matters, particularly on the new measures the Government is due to announce. We all hope these measures will be effective. I ask the Leader for a debate on the abolition of the defence of reasonable chastisement in light of the news today of the condemnation by the Council of Europe of the retention of that defence, which essentially permits parents and caregivers to administer corporal punishment to children. It is unacceptable in 2015 that it is still in place in Ireland. Senator van Turnhout has already commented on it, and the Children's Rights Alliance has called for its abolition. It would be a simple matter of amending legislation. I hope that we can initiate it in this House.