Sharon Keogan (Independent)

I add my voice to those who offered their sympathies on the death of Sr. Stan. I also congratulate our new President, Catherine Connolly.

I wish to express serious concern about the European Commission's LGBTQ+ equality strategy for the period 2026 to 2030. This is not a strategy rooted in balance or democratic consensus; it is a document driven by ideology rather than evidence. It demands scrutiny. Let us be clear. The five main umbrella organisations consulted by the Commission are all recipients of EU operating grants under the citizens, equality, rights and values programme. That is not impartial consultation; it is institutional capture. Where were the voices of the women's rights advocates, detransistioners or those raising legitimate concerns about the impact of gender ideology laws on teens and children? Even the Commission has admitted that its public consultation was not statistically representative, yet it has proceeded as if it speaks for all Europeans. It does not; it speaks for a small, overly active group pushing an agenda that is increasingly out of step with public sentiment and scientific caution. This strategy promotes self-ID without age limits, undermines parental rights and seeks to criminalise therapeutic due diligence with vulnerable children. It conflates hate speech with disagreement and seeks to embed gender identity into criminal law without clear legal definition.

This is not equality; this is overreach. The EU is straying far beyond its limits and imposing ideological compliance on member states and civil society. Even for those countries looking to become member states, it is sidelining legitimate concerns and silencing dissent. I call on the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to make a statement on Ireland's position in this regard. We must not rubber-stamp this strategy. We must defend the rights of women, children and families. We must demand that the work of EU policymakers be grounded in evidence as opposed to ideology.