Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Seanad Éireann:

acknowledges that the laws repealed in the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 that criminalised consensual sexual activity between men:

-were improperly discriminatory, contrary to human dignity and an infringement of personal privacy and autonomy,

-caused multiple harms to those directly and indirectly affected, namely men who engaged in consensual same-sex activities and their families and friends, and

-had a significant chilling effect on progress towards equality for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) community, acknowledging in particular the legacy of HIV/AIDS within the context of criminalisation;

further acknowledges the hurt and the harm caused to those who were deterred by those laws from being open and honest about their identity with their family and in society and that this prevented citizens from engaging in civil and political life and deprived society of their full contribution;

offers a sincere apology to individuals convicted of same-sex sexual activity which is now legal;

welcomes the positive progressive measures introduced by successive Governments over the last 30 years and in particular in the 25 years since decriminalisation was introduced by the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993, including inter alia:

- the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989,

- the Equal Status Acts 2000-2016,

- the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2016,

- the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010,

- the Marriage Equality Referendum and the Marriage Act 2015,

- the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015,

- the Gender Recognition Act 2015;

further welcomes the Government’s commitment to introduce an LGBTI+ Youth Strategy, followed by an LGBTI Strategy; and

reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that:

-the law fully recognises and protects sexual and gender minorities on an open and inclusive basis;

-Ireland is a country where LGBTI individuals are free to fully express their identities without fear of discrimination;

-all citizens can live in freedom and equality, and participate fully in the social, economic and cultural life of the nation, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity; and

-our foreign policy promotes and protects human rights globally, including the rights of LGBTI individuals, who continue to suffer disproportionate levels of violence and face systemic discrimination in many countries.”