Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I rise today to call for the end of prohibition, a prohibition on the free and open discussion of one of the most vital questions of our time – sex, gender and gender ideology. In a place so deeply personal to so many people’s lives, instead of a fact-based discussion in which we have recognised that each of us has spoken in good faith, we have been treated to a decade of suppression and silence. In that silence, we have allowed a single worldview to shape our laws and society, often without scrutiny, democratic content or regard for the consequences. Just last year, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights published a paper recommending that member states, including Ireland, adopt sweeping changes to how we treat gender identity. These include legal self-identification with no age limits, a third gender on official documents, and free hormones and surgeries, even for children. It also calls for the teaching of gender identity in schools and the recognition of children’s gender identities regardless of age. These are not minor administrative tweaks; these are profound societal shifts that would, if implemented, effectively erase single-sex spaces and sports and redefine the relationship between parents, schools and the State. Yet, where is the debate? Where is the space for parents, teachers, doctors and citizens to ask questions, not out of hate but out of care, concern and a desire for truth? I am here to ask for what should be the foundation of any democracy: open, respectful and evidence-based discussion. Let us lift the prohibition on debate. Let us speak freely, listen carefully and legislate wisely for the sake of our children, society and shared future.