Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)

Aontú believes in a compassionate, pluralist Republic. We believe all citizens are equal and should be valued no matter their identify, religion or orientation. Everybody should be treated on the basis of their individual character. Gender dysphoria is real, it is not easy for anybody and citizens who have gender dysphoria should be treated with respect and decency.

It is also really important that, as a society, we base our approach on science and evidence. For far too long, this debate in this Chamber has been driven by ideology, and that ideology has been damaging to both children and women. Evidence and science are not optional extras. They are critical in the development of a just and fair society. A woman is a female adult. That sentence is based on logic, science and evidence. It is a sentence that comes with ease to most citizens in this country but, incredibly, very few TDs in this Chamber are able to say it.

Over the past ten years, this Government, its predecessors and campaigning groups have embarked on a significant campaign of social engineering.

Incredibly, the Government has tried to delete the word "woman" from many different aspects of society. It has even tried to delete the word "woman" from maternity legislation. The HSE has used words like "chestfeeding" instead of "breastfeeding". Among the HSE literature, it has produced a document highlighting issues around cervical checks, saying that "people with a cervix" need to come to the HSE. Teachers have been told on in-service days not to use the words "mother" and "father" in class because it is not inclusive. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has links on its websites to materials for teachers that talk about not using the words "boys" and "girls" in classes for the same reason. A former Taoiseach put pressure on Irish Rugby in the Dáil to reverse its decision to make women's rugby female only, despite significant evidence that enormous damage is done by male-born players to female players in that competition. Professor Donal O'Shea of the National Gender Service, which is deeply committed to people with gender dysphoria, stated at an Oireachtas committee that activists are brainwashing politicians-----

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