Eamonn Coghlan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, to the House. I only became aware a number of hours ago that this issue was being discussed in the House today. I would like to share my thoughts and observations on the subject matter with the Minister of State.

Homophobic bullying as a problem in schools is an issue which has only been explored since 2004. We are all aware that society and in particular our youth, not alone in Ireland but worldwide, are experiencing many problems, including alcohol abuse, misuse of drugs, obesity and racism. I do not foresee the problem of homophobia going away for a long time. I am not necessarily sure if the efforts through education will make a major difference. I note that 41% of teachers say that homophobic bullying is more difficult to deal with than is any other form of bullying in schools, the reason being their fear of also being targeted by the bullies.

I wanted to contribute to this debate because as a coach and mentor to many young boys and girls for a number of years I have dealt at first hand with victims of bullying, in particular young men. They have told me of how at school they were called "gay", "queer" or "fags". This type of slagging affects self-esteem and increases anxiety, often causing depression. Those slagging do not necessarily always know they are being bullies. However, bullying often becomes physical. When, as I once witnessed, a young man is thrown through a glass door in a secondary school, resulting in his head being cut open and him having to be brought to hospital, that is homophobic bullying.

Another young man whom I mentored was told when he tried to get into a nightclub that he could not go in because the bouncer at the door did not like his friend. The bouncer turned to his friend and said: "Get out of here you gay queer." When the first young man defended himself and his friend to the bouncer, he was dragged into the nightclub, had his trousers pulled down below his waist and shoes taken from him and was brought into a dark room and beaten. The Garda Síochána was called and the gardaí believed the bouncer. The young man was imprisoned in Kevin Street Garda station over night and had to eventually, after six months, plead guilty because he did not want to have to go to court. What kind of homophobic bullying is that?

In another instance of which I am aware, a young man was travelling to town in a taxi with a male and two female friends. They had not met each other for approximately three or four months over the summer. When the taxi driver asked where they were going and they told him, he turned and called them "queers" and told them to get out of his taxi. The young man took issue with this. The taxi man stopped in the middle of the Stillorgan dual carriageway and told them to get out of the car. When they did the young man slammed the door and told the taxi driver to go you know where. The taxi driver got out of the car and beat up the young man. I saw the photographs of the young man following that beating. He had blood pouring down onto his chest. The Garda was called, but gardaí did nothing. They provided no protection whatsoever for the young man concerned. There are no rights for these type of victims and action will not be taken against the perpetrators of homophobic bulling.

Young men and women are not only emigrating from this country because of economic difficulties and unemployment. They are emigrating because of homophobic bullying. I do not believe it will ever come to an end. We must work hard with schools, sports clubs and society to try to educate people of the harm done physically and mentally as a result of homophobic bullying.