Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I bring this Topical Issue matter to the House because it is a good news story, but I also see it as a series of events in which we witnessed quite foul attacks on Pride over the past couple of weeks such as the burning of flags in Waterford and the painting of vile homophobic graffiti in Dublin city centre opposite a gay bar. I want to preface what I am going to say by stating categorically that I am not a Catholic, but I am an atheist and I give credit where credit is due.

Last week the parish council and the parish priest, Fr. Adrian Egan, of Our Lady of the Assumption church in Ballyfermot took a decision to fly the Pride flag, along with the Tricolour, outside of the church as a gesture of inclusivity for our LGBTQ+ community in the area, and for young people in the parish in particular. Following complaints to the archdiocese and a social media campaign that in many ways was quite foul, the criticisms of the parish priest were too much even for me to bear. As I said, I give credit to the man and parish council where they deserve it. I recognise that everyone should be free to express his or her religion. I defend everybody's right to express their religion, but I also defend their right to express, within that religion, their sexual and personal identity. For some people, however, that was not enough.

A rosary style protest was staged last Saturday. Many of us were at an anti-racism event in town and were not aware of it. When I spoke to Fr. Adrian Egan, the parish priest, about this, he was quite upset about the pile-on he was getting on social media in response to this. I read some of it and it was quite shocking. It was quite shocking to the majority in our community. Therefore, we got together, under the Ballyfermot Anti-Racism Network, along with many other services, the network of the LGBTQ+ community in the area and young people, in particular, to decide on something very positive which will happen tomorrow night outside the church at the roundabout. We will join together to celebrate Pride and send a message that this is a community that celebrates diversity and not division.

This will be a big event. It will be supported by loads of people, even if they cannot make it. We want it to be socially distanced and for people to wear masks, but we want to be a celebration that will send a message to our young people, in particular, that they are included and welcome. In this current period of the 21st century this is hugely important. There was a discussion earlier about Viktor Orbán and the oppression of the LGBT community in Hungary in light of events around soccer matches. For us, Hungary has to be the canary in the coal mine for Europe not just in terms of marching against gay people but also the growth of the far right against immigrants and workers.

It is interesting to note that the cover that is often given, as the Minister knows only too well, is that gay people are somehow dangerous to children. It is also interesting to note that those who make that foul and despicable claim cannot stand over it. They used a noose outside the Dáil when a Bill on children's issues and the appointment of the Minister were being discussed. That behaviour says that they want to identify paedophiles with gay people but at the same time want to return to the dark days of the control of the Catholic Church where none of them blew the whistle on the abuse that happened at an institutional level over decades in this country.

This is something positive to celebrate in Ballyfermot. Pride is happening everywhere on Saturday. We are holding the event tomorrow evening and want to send out a very strong message of solidarity to all LGBTQ+ people, in particular young people who, during and post Covid, are struggling with mental health issues, their identity and where their future lies. I hope this sends a positive message across the gay community.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I thank the Deputy for this topic submission and for bringing attention to the incident in which the Pride flag was removed from outside of Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Ballyfermot. We can step back for a moment and remember what the Pride flag symbolises and why Pride celebrations are so important, in terms of promoting the self-affirmation, dignity, equality and increased visibility of all members of the LGBTI+ community in Ireland and beyond. It is those themes that the Government seeks to implement in the national LGBTI+ inclusion strategy and the national LGBTI+ youth strategy. The aim of those strategies is to target discrimination, promote inclusion and improve quality of life and well-being of LGBTI+ people in Ireland, in particular LGBTI+ young people.

Regarding the incident in Ballyfermot, the Deputy has the best insight but I understand Fr. Egan decided to fly the Pride flag last week with a particular recognition that members of his congregation were LGBTI+ themselves or had family members who felt left out and excluded by the dogma that comes from the Catholic Church. He wanted to indicate that they would be welcome in this week of all week and that his church and their community church would be a welcoming place for them. His motives in doing that were entirely positive and consistent with the idea of full inclusivity and equality for the LGBTI+ community in our country. I would like to join with Deputy Smith in expressing thanks and support to Fr. Egan and the wider community in Ballyfermot who I know fully support the flying of the Pride flag. Like Deputy Smith, I say that as an atheist. It is important to recognise where somebody goes against the grain within his organisation in such a prominent way.

The work of community groups is important in terms of promoting visibility and making LGBTI+ people feel included and valued in their own area, and I particularly welcome that since the removal of the flag. I want to recognise the work that Ballyfermot Anti-Racism Network and youth services are doing to support Fr. Egan and, in particular, the wider LGBTI+ community in a situation where that symbol of inclusivity has been taken down in such an important week.

Deputy Smith reflected on the other ugly incidents that have happened during Pride month, such as the graffiti outside PantiBar and the burning of flags and the erection of posters in Waterford. I had the opportunity to visit Waterford on Monday and to speak with members of the Pride committee, in particular young members. Pride of the Déise is only two years old. Its member were getting into their stride. It was a shock to them to see such a public attack on the community. I also want to recognise the mayor and city and county councils and, most importantly, the entire city. If a small minority thought it was making some blow against LGBTI+ rights right in this country, they got their answer from the city of Waterford. That was a unanimous and clear answer because Waterford was bedecked in Pride flags. It was a great honour to be there to erect two more flags, but Waterford gave its answer to the small bigoted minority.

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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There will probably be members of my community who will be offended by what I am saying and believe that I am being anti-Catholic, anti-gospel and so on, but that is not at all the case. I am concerned about young people in our area. As a member of the Ballyfermot Anti-Racism Network, I have had long conversations with Fr. Adrian Egan. I commend him on sticking his neck out and speaking. The church has its own debates. Those are its business and I am not trying to interfere in them.

On a given night in Ballyfermot in 2015, up to 200 people were canvassing estates, knocking on doors and asking people to think about their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. We were pushing against an open door, and the results showed that. In one ballot box from Cherry Orchard, more than 90% of people voted to recognise same-sex marriage. In another box from Ballyfermot's main street, the figure was approximately 85%. Overall, my constituency of Dublin South-Central voted for same-sex marriage by a staggering 72.3% .

I say this because it is the canary in the coal mine when we see people starting to attack gay rights. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán did not start by attacking the gay community. He started with immigrants before moving on to attacking workers by forcing them to work as much as 400 hours in overtime per month and wait up to three years for payment. He was not without opposition then, just as he is not without opposition now as regards the laws he is introducing against gay people, but we cannot afford to go down that road in this country.

When I read about these incidents and try to confront the rhetoric of the far right, something that sticks in my mind is a poem written in 1946 after the war by another priest, Pastor Martin Niemöller, survivor of the concentration camps:

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

I am not being rhetorical in using these words. They are important and should be in all our hearts, particularly during Pride week.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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It is an important comparison to make, given what is happening in European countries. The Deputy highlighted Hungary, but we saw a similar situation in Poland last year and earlier this year in terms of the so-called LGBTI+-free zones. That was condemned by the Government and across the Oireachtas. I met the Polish ambassador this year to convey the Government's concern about what was happening and to tell her about the approach we had taken in seeking to be as inclusive and supportive of our LGBTI+ community as possible, in particular our young people. I spoke about how difficult it must be to be a young LGBTI+ person in Poland and hear prominent members of political parties using some of the most awful language about the LGBTI+ community. Similar is occurring in Hungary.

The Deputy made the correct analogy about the dog whistle used by the far right against members of the LGBTI+ community linking paedophilia with homosexuality. To think that it has been legislated for in a European country. It must be scary to be an LGBTI+ person in Hungary right now and to see in one's own lifetime one's rights being eroded. I am lucky to have grown up in this country where, throughout my life, I have seen my rights as a gay man progress. Many among the LGBTI+ have seen that, too. It is not finished yet and there is much more to do, as there is in many other aspects of life, but Ireland is generally moving forward in all areas.

I have called these homophobic laws out for what they are. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, has spoken out strongly at the European Council. The Government will continue doing so. I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I wish her, her community in Ballyfermot and everyone in the Oireachtas a happy Pride.