David Norris (Independent)

I received a strong letter from Professor Patricia Casey demanding that I retract unscripted statements I made on the Order of Business some time ago. I am happy to take this opportunity to do so. I had suggested that in evidence in the High Court in the Zappone case she gave an inaccurate and misleading account of research. Professor Casey pointed out that the research was published after she gave that evidence and, in fact, she was becomingly modest in the case. According to the summary by Ms Justice Dunne, Professor Casey, "confirmed that she herself had not carried out or published any studies on same sex relationships", which makes one wonder why she subsequently engaged in controversy in The Irish Times through articles and letters in which she quoted this research.

I would like to be accurate for the record by noting that the author of one of the reports cited by Professor Casey in her articles and letters, Anna Sarkadi, wrote in a letter to The Irish Times that, "we feel it is important that conclusions based on our research results are correct and truthful to what the original design of the study allows...Prof Casey's conclusion...is not valid based on our findings." Professor Casey also referred to UNICEF, in which regard a letter was written to The Irish Times by Melanie Verwoerd, executive director of Unicef Ireland stating, "Prof Casey's reference to Unicef, with regard to the current debate on same-sex marriage and parenting, is incorrect and unacceptable." It also flew in the face of the report by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association, the Australian Psychological Association, the Canadian Psychological Association, the Royal College of Psychiatry, the National Association of Social Workers in the USA and the American Psychiatric Association. Therefore, Professor Casey's modesty in the High Court was well-earned and very honest.

I am happy to correct the information once again, although it has been already corrected by my colleague, Senator Mullen.