Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

We now have syllabus texts and teacher training that goes down that road. I have a strong view that the Constitution provides for parents not merely the right but the duty to determine the moral formation and the social formation of their children. It is written into our Constitution that parents have that primary function. Activist people who want to project a different view have decided to change the very vocabulary of our common speech by using their concepts to educate children in textbooks and the like. I believe that all of these things are related.

When former Senator Regina Doherty was in Edinburgh she talked about how we were amending legislation to talk about pregnant people rather than pregnant women. She spoke enthusiastically about that and told the Scottish Parliament that Ireland was an example of progressive thought in these matters. It may be right or it may be wrong. One could be conservative or one can be "progressive" but when it comes to this legislation I had to put in an amendment not knowing whether the Minister was going to put in an amendment to her definition of gender. I had intended to propose taking out the definition of gender and the reference to gender and to put it back in on Report Stage when the Minister had come to this House and explained precisely what is meant by genders other than transgender, male and female, and when the Minister had an opportunity to say here are five examples. One does not have to go to Senator Keogan's list - I lost count and I lost the will to live as well.