Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I always accept the bona fides of the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, and I have worked with him over the years. I do not accept the bona fides of the Government that is producing this kind of legislation, although it is necessary to control harmful content, and especially for our daoine óige. I have ten wonderful grandchildren all under the age of nine. The Minister of State has young children himself. The young people need to be protected and ordinary people need to be protected as well. Things are running amok on social media. We see now the hard left supporting legislation like this. There are none so blind as those who will not see at all.

Last night we were invited to the residence of the ambassador of United States of America. I duly went along on behalf of my constituents because we have 8,000 direct investment jobs in Clonmel alone, and 5,000 or 6,000 more in Dungarvan trasna an bóthar in Port Láirge. Elected Members of this House were prancing around there with communist flags on them, roaring and shouting abuse at us going in there, and prohibiting people from getting access to the ambassador's residence. It was a sad day when the American ambassador's residence was blocked off and people could not get access to it last night. It was a sad day for democracy. These people claim to be democrats themselves. They do not know what the word means. They are nothing but bullies, thugs and vagabonds of the worst type. They are in this House every day catcalling and name calling me, my colleagues and others here. It is bullying. They try to bully and intimidate us. They try to dictate what goes on in this House.

There are cabals of NGOs running in front of the Government, so to speak, and I am sure there are plenty running around in front of the Minister of State too. Deputy Nolan found out there are 30,000 NGOs costing nearly €6 billion a year. They are writing legislation and churning it out, and the Government is saying, "Yes, write some more, we will do that for you now, and we will do the hate speech next", just to shut up all these people. We are going back to an autocratic State. Our democracy was hard fought for by the men of 1916 and the men of 1922 and 1923. It was hard fought for. We have come a long way now with legislation like this that is supposed to be doing one thing but is really sneakily and cleverly crafted at the behest of the NGOs out there. We are sick of seeing them morning, noon and night on television and every place else attacking the church. In this context of NGOs we must remember there are sisters, brothers and lay people who go all over the world looking after people in famines and so on. Now we have to involve these NGOs with CEOs and deputy directors and all these spokespersons for NGOs. We also have brilliant doctors and nurses who go out and do such work. These NGOs, however, are just like a bloody cancer with regard to the money and it is taking the money away from the people who need it. There were 3,000 people queuing for food from 4 a.m. today at the Capuchin centre in this city.

Three thousand people on a cold night like last night and all that bothers the people in here and the Government is how to silence the good Christian people of this country and destroy their religion, culture, heritage and dúchas. They will not. I have that message. There are silent people out there who want to practise as Christians and to practise their culture, faith, language, rince agus gach rúd mar sin. They will continue to do that in spite of all this legislation.

The hate speech Bill is so dangerous and it has been found out. I salute Senator McDowell in the other House for picking so many holes in it. It was rushed through here with indecent haste. Sinn Féin and the left are voting for this legislation. Sinn Féin was for years banned from radio and television under the Offences Against the State Act. Now it is going along with this. It has gone so far in with the establishment parties, the Government and the globalists, serving the EU masters, that it has forgotten its values and how it was denied access to radio. Now we want to put a muzzle on Members and on organisations.

Legislation was brought in some weeks ago to stop people praying outside a health centre. If the pro-life rally I gladly attend every year walked down O’Connell Street, it could fall foul of that legislation because we will be nearer than 100 m to some health facilities. The twisted thinking and logic behind that will destroy people’s lives. We have this so-called neoliberal great society and then we had 3,000 people waiting for food last night from the Capuchins. We have 13,000 homeless, including 3,500 children.

Government Members should hang their heads in shame because they keep bringing in legislation and obeying the NGOs. Citizens’ assembly after citizens' assembly is formed to bring in legislation to thwart the democratic right of the people who elected us to this House to carry out legislation. I will not support any part of this legislation because it is not doing what it says on the tin. It is a cover for the Government to silence people.

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