Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

The action plan on bullying refers to progress in providing safe and supportive school environments for LGBTQ+ students. My question to the Taoiseach is, what will the Department do in circumstances where that is not the case and where there is, in the words of the staff of the Spiritan-run Templeogue College, a toxic culture and atmosphere? I will quote from a collective grievance submitted by a majority of staff members of that institution. Writing to the principal, they stated that regrettably, matters came to a head recently when the principal unilaterally decided to remove a rainbow Pride flag from the school canteen area, which became a rather emotional issue for many of the students and staff in the school. They went on to say that the removal of the Pride flag from the school canteen was not an isolated incident. Following the incident, the principal reportedly cited the Spiritan ethos as justification for the action. The staff expressed that they were upset and disturbed by the principal's statement. They went on to state that this episode merely represented one instance of a contribution to a non-inclusive culture and environment regarding LGBTQ+ issues, led by the principal in her capacity as head teacher. The staff also expressed their deep unease about the principal's belief that any LGBTQI+ individual is living a lifestyle, as she described in meetings on 21 and 22 November 2022. They went on to state that the facilitation process says that for many, the style of management, especially from the principal, feels oppressive, unsafe and fear-inducing in many aspects.

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