I was delighted as a member of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality to attend the launch of our interim report on constitutional change today. The interim report calls for a referendum to remove the 'women in the home' clause from the Constitution and replace it with a recognition of the role and importance of care in society. The report also calls for constitutional recognition and protection of the different family types in society. Since entering the Seanad, valuing and recognising the role and importance of care in society has been a key priority and this report reflects the recommendations of the Citizen's Assembly on Gender Equality and the pressing need for constitutional change.
You can find a copy of the interim report here: Interim Report on Amendments to the Constitution (oireachtas.ie)
On Monday in the Seanad, Senator Higgins urged the Government to extend the terms of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes to allow for an investigation into the destruction of witness testimony. Senator Higgins argued that people who gave testimony to the Commission have a right to have a copy of their own testimony and to have their stories heard.
A Cross-party group of Senators and TDs wrote to Facebook Ireland to request that the social media platform roll-out their new transparency features in Ireland in advance of the referendum on the 8th amendment on May 25th.