Ivana Bacik (Independent)

My question to the Leader relates to a matter Senator Norris raised yesterday. I want to support the Senator in calling for a debate on homophobia and bullying. On the Order of Business in this House on 17 May we marked IDAHO, the International Day of Action Against Homophobia and Homophobic Bullying. At a meeting of the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality that morning, as Senator Conway explained, presentations were made by a number of groups working in the area of LGBT rights, which set out for us very clearly some of the very worrying statistics around homophobic bullying in Ireland, particularly among young people and school age students. Senator Norris raised that issue yesterday and I support him in calling for that debate, as we did on 17 May.

I welcome the fact that we will have a debate today on the decade of commemorations with the Minister, Deputy Deenihan, in attendance. As part of that debate we should consider the role of the national cultural institutions. It is something Senator Mac Conghail raised in this House in recent weeks and on which there has been a good deal of discussion in the media. I look forward to a robust and a considered exchange with the Minister on that issue during this morning's debate.