Seanad debates

Wednesday, 28 January 2015

11:20 am

Photo of David NorrisDavid Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would like to raise the issue of the situation that obtained in the past few days in a school in south County Dublin, Coláiste Eoin, where a group due to talk about homophobic bullying was given half an hour's notice that the session would not take place, despite the fact it had visited the school for a successful visit previously. Apparently, on this occasion, the school management was contacted by a group of parents who wanted to know why the other side was not represented. I find this extraordinary. The other side of a group talking about homophobic bullying is a group of people in favour of homophobic bullying. What is going on here? This is utter lunacy.

This, in my opinion, is the pernicious effect of the McKenna judgment. We need to look again at this judgment, at this requirement for balance and for 50% representation from each side, no matter how absurd the situation becomes. This House should take on the job of considering amending this legislation. The situation reminded me of the time when Joe O'Toole and myself were pilloried by conservative elements for campaigning for the Stay Safe programme in schools. We were told we were infringing parents' rights, as if parents had a right to interfere with their own children. I remind people that the group in question in regard to the school was a non-political, non-lobbying group which had nothing to do with the marriage equality amendment.

Another matter raised here had to do with Deputy Paul Murphy and what was stated on the radio as incitement by him. I heard him plainly and unreservedly condemning both the language and the tone of the protests against the President and do not see how this could possibly be construed as incitement. He sustained people's right to protest and people might have different views on that. I would not protest against the President and think he is doing a good job. President Higgins is not a shrinking violet. I remember him in the 1980s interrupting a conferring in Galway university by -----

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