David Norris (Independent)

I second Senator O'Toole's amendment. I support the call by Senators Fitzgerald and O'Toole for a debate on the report on child abuse, particularly in light of motion No. 9 on the Order Paper which refers to the extraordinary exemption of the churches from the operations of the equality legislation. The churches are now placed above the law with regard to equality, which gives them the right to dismiss teachers. This is, in effect, a question of bullying. In 80% of cases of homophobic bullying nothing is done because the teachers are afraid. This is unacceptable. It is obscene that the group that in four successive reports has had its reputation impugned in this area continues to be allowed this opportunity for discrimination.

We know there is no real equality in this country. It is very sinister that today our predictions have come true with regard to the Equality Authority. The new chief executive is, as we suspected, a senior member of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The authority will have no independence and no credibility. I call for a debate on the issue, as proposed in motion No. 21 on the Order Paper.

I wish to refer to the law on blasphemy, an issue that has been raised several times in the House. Today, a senior member of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE, Mr. Miklos Haraszti, said that in creating this offence of blasphemy, Ireland is taking a regrettable, backward step, which negates the progress it had made. Nothing was done for ten years and we were quite happy to turn a blind eye to it. That is what we should continue to do. Perhaps the Constitution needs to be revised to deal with this issue.

One of my colleagues raised examples of some absurd instances as justification for an offence of blasphemy. It was suggested somebody might take the host, the most sacred element of Christian worship, and destroy it in public or that somebody might stand outside a synagogue and abuse the Jewish community by saying "Up the holocaust". These are extraordinary, bizarre and ridiculous acts that would, presumably, be committed by somebody who was unbalanced. If not, the law already exists under which the issue can be addressed. These are breaches of public order. This is conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace. We do not need the blasphemy law. It will only be used to restrict freedom of speech and it must be resisted.