Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach did not let me finish my sentence. I am asking about the efforts being made by the Department and the NCCA to ensure that gender ideology is not part of the early years curriculum.

This all speaks to the question of the trust parents place in the State and how it seeks to treat children when they are in any way entrusted to third parties. I stress how important it is that the State regulates in many areas. I have just mentioned nutrition. There are many areas where the State needs to support parents and this is a vital area of endeavour. However, with regard to values and the potential for confusion, there is a well-founded fear that modern gender ideology undermines a sense of self, which can lead to gender confusion issues arising as children grow up. Proper education requires helping to secure a child's sexual identity in line with his or her sex. To call that into doubt is destructive. For example, the need to distinguish between a child's sense of play and the real world is distorted when someone seeks to make gender identity ideas somehow real to a child. This involves the question of whether children's lives are being experimented with in some way. People do not want to see this happening. That is why I am zooming in on these issues today. Consultation with parents is never as important as it is in this area. Does Dr. Sullivan have a view and will the NCCA vet these early years curricula to make sure there is no such interference? Is he in favour of interpreting diversity, equity and inclusion in such a way as to put all of this stuff on the table? That is what people want to know.

I have the unpleasant duty of pointing out to Dr. Sullivan that it has been drawn to my attention that the issue I raised earlier about the confusion between sexual identity and sexual orientation was drawn to his attention during the consultation stage.