Seanad report: Saying it would be a better day for the church when there was more involvement by the laity, leader of the House Mary O'Rourke questioned why women were permitted by ecclesiastics to only play limited roles.
Of course, girl altar servers were allowed. How marvellous, because they were in an ancillary and a subservient role. They trotted up and down, and handed this and that to the priest.
"One is pleased to see little girls trotting up and down. I hope they are safe, that's what I would say, and I hope they were safe since they were introduced."
Mrs O'Rourke, who was speaking on the Ferns report, said there were steps that could be taken in advance of legislation to deal with clerical abuse issues.
She had been absolutely gobsmacked to discover that the Stay Safe programme was not available in all primary schools.
Mrs O'Rourke also called on the present holder of the office to give decent funding to Educate Together, which provided multi-denominational education.
Mary Henry (Ind) said she was dismayed that a moral theologian from Maynooth had seemed to suggest on radio and in The Irish Times this week that the bishops might not have understood that child sexual abuse was a crime.
"This is beyond belief that that should be suggested, that somehow Vatican Two made sexual sins some sort of emotional aberration. I would query that anyone should be teaching that sort of theology."
Fergal Browne (FG) said priests had a very lonely life. As a practising Catholic he would have no problem with them being given the option to marry.
"From what I hear this is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of problems in the church. I think there will be a lot more stories like Bishop Eamonn Casey in the past, and there will be a lot more stories about priests having relations with people, which, unfortunately, would contravene the canon law of the church. I'd say most people would be quite happy with that once they are consenting adults."
David Norris (Ind) said he honoured Deputy Liz O'Donnell for her courageous speech in the Dáil last Wednesday.
He said he was sorry that she had been subjected to a partisan attack by other parties, including Labour.
"They should know better because she was saying very important things."