Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms Nelson for being here and for representing LGBTQIA+ women so well in discussions on constitutional change. She referred to the lack of access and how institutions and the Governments have to take the time to assess the need for supports. In regard to the Governments, is she talking just about Northern Ireland or about the island of Ireland as a whole?

Ms Nelson indicated that the Department of Communities has a responsibility to deliver on the LGBTQIA+ strategy in general. Has it worked closely with any Department down here? There is a good deal of cross-Border collaboration. The committee wants to push that a bit further. Can Ms Nelson provide any suggestions on how best to achieve co-operation? She also stated that much of the time it is not enshrined in the Government structure, that it effectively relies on the sympathy of the relevant Minister. Have any Ministers been proactive? Is there any Minister, party or grouping that is more sympathetic in respect of these challenges?

The solution has to be a new approach. One aspect Ms Nelson talked about is that the Governments, North and South, should invest in grassroots organisations for marginalised women. I would have thought that should have been happening already. Obviously, she is highlighting the challenges. However, she talked about a unique barrier for LGBTQIA+ women in the context of a hostile, toxic political culture relating to women's willingness to participate in public life. I do not disagree with her. I have a theory about that. When I became involved in politics 25 years ago, while we thought we were in the trenches, politics here was a bit more benign, certainly than was the case in Northern Ireland. I am not saying we have overdone it, but we have highlighted social media and bullying online in such a way that everything has become negative and this has put people from middle Ireland and Ms Nelson's organisation off becoming involved in politics. It is especially the case for women.

Women who I approach in local politics have been by the hostility and the sense that politics is a complete bear pit that nobody would dare to want to get involved in. To be honest, it is not as bad as that. I have seen it happening when I have been canvassing with people the local and European elections. If you look at social media, you will see the usual suspects. We have created an issue whereby we have turned people even more against getting involved by maybe over-highlighting the dangers of social media and the abuse of social media. Those dangers and that abuse are certainly there, however. We need to do something, particularly as I have found it difficult to get young and middle-aged women, even men in some cases, interested in politics. I would appreciate Ms Nelson's views on that. Maybe we have gone overboard in the context of our response to the message to the effect that people should not come here and have allowed the "hardnecks" to get involved.