Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

One of the clear indications of Catholic influence on the new Irish Free State was the establishment in 1926 of the Committee on Evil Literature. It led to the Censorship of Publications Act 1929. Over the course of the following decades, many works of literature were banned, as were manuals on reproductive and sexual health. Works by Frank O'Connor, Brendan Behan and Edna O'Brien were banned, among many others. Censorship was used as a tool of social engineering and control, including for the suppression of sexual freedom. Some might like to think that this was long ago in a different Ireland but the appalling treatment of Majella Moynihan has reminded us that social policing was still ongoing in this State up to the 1980s. In countries such as Hungary and Poland, we see attempts to roll back on people's freedoms in this area. Few people, certainly no one in my party, want to see a return to anything like that regime. It does not mean, however, that there is no such thing as evil literature. Following the conviction of two 14 year old boys for the horrific murder of Ana Kriégel and her sexual assault by Boy A, it has been revealed that Boy A had two mobile phones full of pornographic images. His Internet searches in previous years are reported to have included child pornography and animal pornography.

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