David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

One minute will be more than enough for me to deal with the Iona Institute. How is it an institute? It has never done any original research. That is one of the qualifications to be an institute. In Britain it would not be allowed to call itself an institute. It is a self-appointed bunch of boot boys and boot girls who try to bully all the time. It is for nothing, it is run by a company called Lolic and its aims include advancing the Christian religion. I am a Christian and it has not advanced me very much. It is not in favour of anything positive. It is against divorce, abortion, abortion information, same-sex marriage, liberal sex education, IVF, stem cell research, embryo research, euthanasia and neutral education.

There is homophobia around this place too. One of my colleagues who sits just here - and I have experienced blushes because he is not here today - I heard on RTE radio saying that gay people wanted children as a fashion accessory. What is that if not homophobia? There are one or two people who have put their names to amendments to the civil partnership legislation which would have made me an outlaw in my own country if I went into a confectioner's shop to buy a wedding cake or ordered it.