I am pleased to see the Judicial Council Bill back before this House on Committee Stage today. I note that it is more than 16 months since we took the Bill on Second Stage on 22 November 2017. It is unfortunate that we have seen such a long delay at a time when there has been such unseemly haste to rush the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill through. I am also disappointed that we saw at such late notice, and after our leaders meeting last week, the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill reappearing on this week's schedule on Thursday afternoon. I know that is for another day but I want to put the point on the record.

Might we make provision over the coming week or so for a debate on Brexit? I know we have had many opportunities to do so but clearly the issue is changing daily. More and more depressing news comes from Britain. We are seeing, apparently, a catastrophic cliff-edge approach being taken in Westminster with the prospect of a no-deal scenario becoming more likely. Those of us watching it from this jurisdiction feel immense and increasing helplessness. We wish we could do something to avert the course of these votes that are constantly against any prospective resolution. It was particularly frustrating to see such narrow margins last night in the House of Commons votes. I know this point has been made elsewhere by other legislators and Members of the Oireachtas, but it is shocking that we have a party in this jurisdiction that holds seven seats in Westminster. It could have made a major difference and would have enabled the passage of the Ken Clarke amendment that would see Britain stay within a customs union. It was lost by three votes last night.

I know Sinn Féin has its own reasons but if there was ever a time to leave that aside in the face of an existential crisis for this country and for those living in Northern Ireland as well as for our neighbours in Britain, if there was ever a time to take up seats, it would make such a significant difference. Nobody could suggest it would not.

It was only two votes.

Senator Norris is right, it was two votes. No one can say it would not have made a difference. No one can say that if people had been there to represent voices from Northern Ireland that are not being heard at Westminster at present, it might not have made all the difference to those in the Labour Party, my own sister party, who are shamefully failing to achieve a compromise to stop a no-deal Brexit from happening. We are on a cliff edge with this. It is devastating to see our nearest neighbours in such a catastrophic state. That there are people who could have done something and did not will be seen as really terrible in times to come.

I commend Mary McAleese for her comments on Friday. I was privileged to chair an event at which she spoke on Friday evening at the Law Society in Blackhall Place for the Hibernian Law Journal. She spoke so powerfully and movingly of her experience growing up in Belfast in the Ardoyne and her fears for the return of a hard border. No one listening to that could fail to be moved or to wish to do anything possible to avert the no-deal catastrophe that is so chillingly coming our way.

Today marks 100 years since the appointment of Constance Markievicz as Minister for Labour. She was the first woman Minister in our Government and in any western European country. Although her appointment was historic and must be commemorated today, unfortunately it took another 60 years before a second woman was appointed to Cabinet. That was Máire Geoghegan-Quinn in 1979. In 2019, we still have only ever had 19 individual woman serve as Cabinet Ministers. I am using today to call upon the Government to do more to promote the achievements and successes of women in politics, to encourage more women to enter and participate in politics and to commit to including more women in Cabinet. They could have done so this time but the Government did not. The Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, chose not to appoint more women to Cabinet. In marking the centenary of Countess Markievicz's achievement, it would be well worth seeking to ensure we have more women in Government positions in future.