Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The idea of human dignity can unite people coming from disparate backgrounds, including people who come from a strongly feminist persuasion who approach this issue through that philosophical or ideological lens. As everybody here probably knows, the origins of Ruhama are rooted in the good work of certain religious congregations that have been focusing on the issue of human dignity. Human dignity is a concept that can unite all people of goodwill. The question we should be asking ourselves as friends this evening is whether this law will protect human dignity more than it will hurt it. I would argue that it will do so because it will inhibit trafficking. I believe it will decrease the incidence of prostitution. We have to be courageous enough to say that what is at stake here is not the power relationship between men and women, but the relationship between men and women in our society. We want to promote attitudes that are not conflictual or exploitative, but which are gentler and respectful. I will not get into talking about Ryan Tubridy and "The Late Late Show" last Friday night because I did not see it, thankfully. I believe it was a tremendously crass piece of television.