Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)

We in Ireland have been enjoying the benefits of democracy, our free elections, our right to freedom of expression and gathering in worship for so long. I too see that democracy under pressure. We have surrendered part of our sovereignty, first, to the EU and now our economic sovereignty to the troika. It is ironic that this is happening at a time when we see the rise of the Irish spring and not only that spring but the spring in other countries in Africa and South America who have been long under dictators and are now demanding the rights we have enjoyed for many years.

On a broader scale, as I stand here today I cannot but be struck by the rights I have. I can speak freely, I can choose the church to which I wish to belong or none, I can vote, protest, criticise, drive a car and pursue the education or career I choose. There are countries where citizens are deprived of those basic rights, countries where civil society is being increasingly repressed. They are denied their rights. They live in war zones. I am struck by the fact that there are countries where women are denied the right to drive a car or chose the man, or person, they wish to marry.

A major threat to democracy is fear. It is that fear that has brought democratic governments to do very undemocratic things, such as, invade other countries, use torture and start wars. While we can claim to be democratic in many ways, there are aspects and examples where we have not been democratic, where the rights of certain citizens have not been respected. I think particularly of people with mental health issues who are subjected to forced medication, forced ECT and stigmatised. We have denied those people the right to be treated as equal citizens and we continue to deny justice to the survivors of the Magdalen laundries. They are just two examples of the blight in our democracy.

I look back at history and the types of government we have had, at monarchy and the divine right of kings, dictatorship, benevolent and autocratic, one party states, fascism and communism. Given that today is international day of democracy, it is important that we respect it, yet we allow only 25 minutes to debate it.

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