Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I want to ensure there is no discrimination and no bullying, within the context of the legislation, based on sexual orientation. It is encouraging for teachers to know that none of them has been forced to take a case. A teacher would only take a case if there was a feeling that he or she had been strongly discriminated against. I hope that will encourage other teachers to be more comfortable in their teaching positions.

There have been some indications that it is not school managements that discriminate against gay and lesbian teachers but parents. Some parents can be uncomfortable with the sexual orientation of their children's teachers. Perhaps there is a wider educational issue which should include parents. Our inspectorate has been working closely with teachers, representative groups and the Equality Authority to ensure that we have school policies in place that reflect the fact that everybody should be respected. It is important to mention that young people are also learning about this issue in their RSE classes, and respect is given to them as students. Section 37 of the current Employment Equality Act allows schools to preserve their religious ethos, but they must be able to show that whatever actions are taken are necessary.

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