Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, to the House and apologise for my being delayed. I was at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality, which had a hearing on the merger of the Irish Human Rights Commission and the Equality Authority, to which I know the Minister of State referred in her speech as one of the important mechanisms we hope will strengthen equality protection. Senator Zappone also attended the committee hearing. I apologise for not having been here earlier.

I was one of the Senators who spoke on 17 May, the international day against homophobia and transphobia. This was raised in the House. I am delighted we are returning to the issue, specifically homophobic bullying. Bullying in general and particularly the horrific consequences of Internet bullying or cyber-bullying, as in the very tragic case involving a young girl, have been in the news in recent days.

The sort of language used about cyber bullying can sometimes mask the real anguish and heartbreak that it can cause for people. There is much flippant talk about Internet trolls, anonymous people who post vicious and hurtful comments online. This sort of anonymous bullying can have really tragic consequences and certainly causes great distress.

The specific issue of homophobic bullying is clearly what we are speaking about and what the Minister of State focused on. The Government has taken very significant action thereon already. Homophobic bullying has been recognised internationally as a serious violation of human rights and a public health crisis.

The Minister of State referred to the efforts of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, through his Department to ensure that homophobic bullying is eliminated in schools. The programme for Government commits to encouraging schools to develop anti-bullying policies. As colleagues have mentioned, a great deal of work has been done by the anti-bullying centre at Trinity College in respect of the homophobic targeting of pupils by bullies. Research has been done on the higher incidence of bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, LGBT, people in general.

The work at Government level has been important, but I take Senator Cullinane's point, in that it is not just a question of focusing on homophobic bullying or of taking action in schools, but of ensuring that Government policies are in keeping with the principle of equality and do not encourage, however indirectly, a perception in the community that people who are LGBT are less deserving of equal status. I refer in particular to the campaign for marriage equality, of which I have been a supporter. Recently, the Tánaiste referred to equal recognition as being an important civil rights issue.

As Senator Brennan wished to contribute, I will conclude. I commend the efforts at Government level, as well as the Minister of State's personal efforts.