I congratulate all those who were involved in the same-sex marriage referendum campaign. The people are remarkable because they will always follow the truth if the truth is authentic. In this instance, they followed the truth. Our common humanity can never be undermined. The referendum was about our common humanity and that influenced how the people voted. I congratulate them on voting the way they did. I inform Senators David Norris, Katherine Zappone and others that what has been achieved has been coming for a long time and it has now found its rightful place in our society. I am very glad and congratulate all of my colleagues and the great Irish people for their sense of what constitutes truth. The people will never let one down when the truth is invoked. I also thank the Labour Party and Fine Gael which created the platform in both the Lower and Upper Houses to allow the referendum to come about and ensure people could vote in it.

I remind the House that it was the Taoiseach's nominees who imagined and initiated the Seanad Public Consultation Committee, out of which have come the reports on farm safety, positive aging in Ireland, alcoholism and many other matters. The Leader took on board the concept of establishing such a committee, but it was imagined, initiated and developed by the Taoiseach's nominees.