2026-06-24

We commence our debate with a statement from the Minister, Norma Foley, followed by one from the Minister of State, Emer Higgins. The 25 minutes are to be shared, I think.

A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leat as ucht an deis seo a thabhairt dom. I welcome the opportunity to speak to the House on Pride. It is a time of celebration, a time of reflection and a time of renewed commitment. Pride is not merely a festival; it is a living reminder of courage, resistance and the enduring pursuit of dignity for LGBTIQ+ people. It acts as a reminder of the work still to do to allow the LGBTIQ+ community to live openly and freely without fear of discrimination or hatred. Throughout Ireland, many events will take place for Pride throughout designated days in June and July and, as always, I look forward to those events in my home constituency of Kerry in the coming weeks. However, the impact reaches far beyond just one singular day in any part of the country. It is inspiring to see the expansion of Pride festivals across Ireland, particularly in rural areas, and I warmly welcome their continued growth year after year. In Ireland we often speak of progress, and rightly so. We have travelled a remarkable distance in a relatively short time. The marriage equality referendum in 2015 changed Ireland in so many profound ways. There is so much to celebrate in terms of the path to equality for the LGBTIQ+ community since that remarkable day. Ireland has in many ways become an example of what social change can look like when driven by compassion, activism and active engagement with the Government. Last year I launched the national LGBTIQ+ inclusion strategy 2024-2028 and its associated first two-year action plan. The strategy aims to promote and respect the right of LGBTIQ+ people to live their lives safely, free of harassment and free of violence. This is by means of several prevention and protection measures. The strategy incorporates a stronger outcomes-focused approach and a transparent implementation structure. It features achievable actions and clear performance indicators. It has adopted a more focused approach to ensure that actions are realistic and achievable while still being ambitious. The pillars on which the strategy is built are: safety; health and well-being; participation and inclusion; and equality and non-discrimination. These pillars seek to directly confront the continuing challenges faced by LGBTIQ+ people today. The actions through which the strategy is being implemented reflect the determination of the whole of government and State agencies to work together to that end. Since the launch of the strategy in June 2025, Departments and agencies have been advancing a range of actions set out in the first action plan. While progress takes time, important and promising work is taking place under all four pillars. As my colleagues will be aware, I submitted a memorandum for Government for information to Cabinet on 23 June in relation to the inaugural national LGBTIQ+ inclusion strategy. The report marks an important milestone in our shared commitment to building a more equal, a more inclusive and a more respectful society, a society where every single person can live with dignity, safety and full participation. The drafting of this inaugural report not only provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress achieved over the past year but also strengthens our determination to address the challenges that remain. The safety pillar includes several prevention and protection measures to promote and respect the right of LGBTIQ+ people to live their lives safely, free of harassment and, as I have said, violence. Coimisiún na Meán's online safety code came into full effect in July 2025, thereby strengthening protections against harmful content, including harassment and abusive remarks directed against LGBTIQ+ people. An Coimisiún has also made strong progress on sector-wide equality and diversity supports and the development of gender equality, diversity and inclusion standards. Local community safety partnerships were established under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which commenced in 2025. These partnerships represent a significant step towards a more collaborative, responsive and locally driven model of community safety. An Garda Síochána has continued to invest in its network of Garda diversity officers. These officers are trained and supported to actively engage with and attend to the concerns of minority, diverse and hard-to-reach communities. They aim to provide reassurance, build trust and extend the accessibility of the Garda service. A review of the Garda diversity officers' network took place in November 2025, and workshops were carried out for 12 Garda divisions. This added an additional 150 officers to the network, bringing the current number of Garda diversity officers to 666. Progress under the health and well-being pillar shows increased investment in strengthening mental health supports for LGBTIQ+ people. The Mental Health Commission developed a guidance document for staff working in mental health services on the care and treatment of LGBTIQ+ people and launched it in 2025. This progress is essential because research has shown that LGBTIQ+ people can face higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress. A key achievement under the national inclusion strategy was the establishment of the LGBTIQ+ community services fund. This fund provides vital funding for initiatives that promote inclusion, protect rights and improve the quality of life and well-being for members of the LGBTIQ+ community. It helps them to participate fully in Ireland's social, economic, cultural and political life. The fund supports the establishment and enhancement of safe spaces in their many forms across the country. The importance of these safe spaces cannot be overestimated. They allow for the creation of connection, solidarity and a sense of belonging. Today I was delighted to announce that 52 projects are to receive funding under the 2026 community services funding call. Through the fund, a total of €1.8 million will be made available to support organisations to deliver projects at national, regional and local levels. This support will help ensure that LGBTIQ+ individuals across Ireland can access these vital services and continue to flourish within their own communities. Successful projects include assisting LGBTIQ+ people living in rural communities to access safe spaces, providing supports to older and disabled LGBTIQ+ people and strengthening community and counselling supports. Since 2020 over €9 million in funding has been provided to 231 projects. The amount of funding available under the fund has increased annually since 2020, indicating the importance of this funding both to the Government and to the wider community. I thank the community for its continued engagement with the community services fund over the past six years. Notable achievements have been made under the participation and inclusion pillar. This reflects strong efforts to ensure that LGBTIQ+ voices are heard as part of the relevant strategy and policy development and are embedded across national youth engagement structures. LGBTIQ+ people are now represented within Youth Ireland's governance structures, and work is ongoing to ensure their inclusion in wider Government consultations. Under the strategy, the first annual LGBTIQ+ forum was successfully held in April of this year. The event brought together representatives, organisations, civil society, public bodies and colleagues from across Government Departments. The forum was established to showcase examples of best practice, provide an opportunity to ask questions on implementation of the strategy and to feed back directly to the steering committee that oversees the strategy. I acknowledge the importance and the value of the forum. It brings together people with lived experience, community organisations and public bodies to talk openly about what is working and, importantly, what still needs to change. Personal insights and experiences are essential to shaping better outcomes. The strategy only works if it leads to real change, manifest change in people's lives. That is why the work done at the forum discussing the implementation of the strategy as it relates to the community and identifying the most important actions for the second action plan was so valuable. It illustrates how we in government remain committed to working in partnership with LGBTIQ+ people. We know that progress requires listening, respect and genuine collaboration. As we approach our Presidency of the European Union, we have chosen to showcase and uphold the values of the Union, values founded on the respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights. This choice once again confirms our Government's commitment to creating an equal society. Now more than ever, the EU needs to defend and vindicate those values within Europe and globally. The Irish Presidency will seek to strengthen the EU's approach to equality, social inclusion, non-discrimination and the protection of the rights of minorities in line with the renewed Union of equality strategies. Ireland will use the EU Presidency to advance LGBTIQ+ equality and inclusion. The Department of Children, Disability and Equality will host a high-level conference on non-discrimination on 6 October 2026. The conference will offer an opportunity to highlight achievement across key policy areas while considering the varying levels of progress towards advancing more and more equality across the EU, ensuring there are areas of interest for a broader audience. The policy areas considered at the conference will align closely with the Equality Strategy 2026-2030. One area that will be explored is LGBTIQ+ equality across the lifecycle, looking at supporting young LGBTIQ+ people and their families, with a particular emphasis on the digital environment, and examining the challenges faced by older people. The event will gather national governments, EU institutions, international organisations and LGBTIQ+ civil society representatives among others to discuss progress and challenges. A meeting of the expert group on LGBTIQ+ equality will follow the conference. The expert group is composed of government experts nominated by member states to support and monitor progress and the protection of people's rights in the member states. Ireland is also supporting a further conference in October as a Presidency-associated event. The ILGA-Europe annual conference is the largest gathering of LGBTIQ+ activists, organisations and allies in Europe and central Asia. It brings together around 400 participants each year for several days of strategy-building, networking, knowledge-sharing and decision-making. We must be mindful that equality is not a single destination; it is a continuous journey, and one that we must remain committed to. As a Government, we must continue working to build an Ireland where diversity is embraced, where equality is not an aspiration but a lived reality for all citizens. Pride is a moment to look forward, not just a moment to look back, to reflect on the work still to be done to combat discrimination, to ensure our schools, services and workplaces are inclusive for all and, most importantly, to show the LGBTIQ+ community that we stand in solidarity with them and that we will rise to meet the challenges they continue to face.

I want to start by wishing everybody a really happy Pride and a really happy Pride month, especially those who are heading out to celebrate this weekend. Hopefully, the weather stays as fabulous as it has been the past couple of days for the Dublin Pride parade. Every year that I attend the Dublin Pride parade, I am struck by the sense of community, inclusion, fun, colour, energy and positivity. It brings the streets of Dublin to life and I wish everybody participating in it this year the very best. I think we can see that same feeling reflected in celebrations right across the country. Those celebrations are taking place right throughout this month, and that is something we can all be proud of. Pride is a really important month and a really important moment in the year, a time to celebrate and a time to reflect, as the Minister, Deputy Foley, said. It is a powerful expression of visibility, dignity and joy for the LGBTQI community but it also reminds us why it is so important that we speak up, stand together and show our solidarity and support. It is really important to recognise how far we have come as a country when it comes to supporting and including LGBTQI+ people. There is a lot to be proud of but Pride is also a reminder that it all started as a protest and that part of it is still really important too. There are still people who experience discrimination and online abuse. We are seeing more and more of that online, unfortunately. It can be incredibly damaging. It has a real impact on people, on their confidence and well-being and on how safe they feel to just be themselves. While Pride is a celebration, it is also a moment to remind ourselves to keep standing up for each other, call out hate when we see it and keep working towards an Ireland where everyone feels respected, supported and free to be who they are. It is through that continued commitment that we are seeing real, tangible progress in our policies, our services, and in how we support people in their day-to-day lives. One area where we are seeing that progress is in transgender healthcare. Work is well under way to improve services for both adults and young people, including the development of an updated clinical model of care for gender healthcare which we expect to be completed later this year. A national clinical programme for gender healthcare working group has been set up to develop this, bringing together expertise from across the system with a clear focus on delivering more joined-up, accessible care linking primary care, community supports and specialist services in a way that works better for people. We are also continuing to focus on challenging stigma and raising awareness. The You, Me and HIV campaign is back again this year across TV, radio and online channels. It is sharing a really clear message that effective treatment means HIV cannot be passed on. Through real life stories, this campaign is helping to build understanding and create a more supportive and informed society. We are beginning to see some impact from the campaign and recent figures point to a modest downward trend in discriminatory attitudes, with levels decreasing from 54% in late 2024 to 49% at the end of last year. We still have a way to go. More people are also saying they feel comfortable with someone living with HIV in their everyday lives, whether it is a family member, friend, neighbour or colleague. That is clear progress but it is gradual and the level of stigma remains significant. While we are making some progress in the right direction, it is clear that we need to keep moving. Changing attitudes takes time and continued effort. That is essential if we are to achieve more meaningful and lasting change. That is why it is so important that we keep having these conversations and that we keep challenging the stigma and continuing to build a society where people feel fully accepted, supported and included. We are also seeing really positive progress in our schools. Inclusion is becoming part of everyday learning. The updated senior cycle SPHE programme, which now includes LGBTIQ+ identities, is being introduced for students in the leaving certificate applied. This is being supported at primary level through the new well-being curriculum, including SPHE, which covers topics like diversity, gender stereotypes and tackling bullying from an early age. It is because of our core values, inclusion, respect, understanding and acceptance, and that really matters. As we all know, it is these early experiences that shape how we see and treat each other, as individuals but also as a society. More broadly, we are continuing to strengthen the legal protections that protect LGBTIQ+ people from discrimination, harm and hatred. While I know progress in this area can sometimes feel slow, it is important to take the time to get it right and to make sure the laws we introduce are strong and effective and that they make a real difference in people's lives. It is in that context that there are very clear commitments in place, including a commitment in both the programme for Government and the national LGBTIQ+ inclusion strategy, to ban conversion practices. This goes to the core of protecting people's equality and dignity. Of course, turning that commitment into something meaningful in practice takes time and careful work. That work is already well under way, with officials developing the approach and working closely with the Office of the Attorney General. Alongside that work, we have also seen important progress in other areas. Just this month, the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, recommended that the Criminal Law, Civil Law and Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 include an amendment regarding historical convictions for consensual same-sex activity. In practical real terms, this amendment will introduce a process where people can apply to have a certain historical conviction for consensual same-sex activity formally disregarded. This is particularly significant when we reflect on how recent these laws are in our history. Homosexuality was only decriminalised in Ireland in 1993 following a long and hard-fought campaign led by former Senator, David Norris, and many others. For many people those convictions did not simply disappear. They were punished for relationships that were entirely consensual, something that should never have been criminal in the first place, and they have carried that burden for years, often quietly, through their everyday lives. While we have moved forward as a society, it is important to recognise that this is not the case everywhere. At an international level, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, alongside Ireland's diplomatic missions, continues to advocate strongly for the rights of LGBTIQ+ people, including supporting the decriminalisation of homosexuality where it still exists and opposing any attempts to introduce such laws. It is in that context, recognising the progress we have made and the work that remains, that the legislation is important. It will provide a formal process through which individuals can and will apply to have convictions disregarded and effectively nullified. It also represents a sincere recognition of the violation of individuals' human rights and dignity and acknowledgement of the lasting harm caused by the criminalisation of LGBTIQ+ people and communities more broadly around the world. That recognition matters all the more in the context we are in today. While we have made real progress, we are seeing that progress being challenged not just at home but influenced by wider international trends, including the more polarised debates that we are seeing, especially overseas. Those conversations, in particular online, can quickly take hold and contribute to an increase in negative rhetoric, misinformation and, in some cases, harassment directed at the LGBTIQ+ community. That is why steps like this are so important, not just in terms of addressing the past but also in reaffirming the kind of society we want to be and the values of equality, dignity and respect we all stand for. Work does not stop there. Work on the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) (Amendment) Bill, as colleagues will be aware, is now at an advanced stage, with drafting being led by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel alongside relevant Departments. I am informed it is expected to be introduced to the Dáil this term. Finalising the legislation, along with establishing the assisted human reproduction regulatory authority, will be key to enabling the introduction of surrogacy leave and ensuring that families are recognised and supported and treated equally. I commend Irish Families Through Surrogacy and all those who have advocated in this space. All this work across policy and legislation, and across seas in terms of our international engagement, shows the direction we are moving in and reflects a clear and ongoing commitment to advancing equality at home and abroad. The Department of Children, Disability and Equality leads on a number of whole-of-government equality strategies, including the national LGBTIQ+ inclusion strategy. As the core, they are about addressing the barriers that people face and making sure that everyone has the opportunity to participate fully and equally in society, regardless of their sex, race, ethnicity, social origin, religion, belief, political opinion, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristics. These strategies also give us a way to respond to the challenges that people face, many of which are shared across different communities. They are all designed to work together. That is where an intersectional approach becomes so important. It helps us to better understand and respond to inequality in a way that reflects people's lived experience. It is important to say that those lived experiences have been central to shaping our most recent strategies, including the national LGBTIQ+ inclusion strategy. At the end of the day, it is only by listening to people, trying to understand their experiences and putting people at the centre of our policy decisions can we develop policies that are truly meaningful and will make a genuine difference. This is about listening, learning and making sure that people's experiences are reflected in the decisions that we take. While today is an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come, it is also a reminder of the responsibility that we all share to keep moving forward. Equality is not something that we achieve once. It requires commitment, listening and action. There is much to be proud of this Pride but there is much more to do. We are moving in the right direction. I thank everyone who continues to play a part in making Ireland a more inclusive and compassionate place for everyone, all of the NGOs operating in the space and everybody who is celebrating Pride this month.

I welcome the groups in the Gallery who have come to listen to this debate. I hope it proves inspiring from all of us to you. Pride, or Bród, month began with the bravery of a demonstration in Dublin in 1974. A group of men and women protested against the archaic laws of the 1800s that criminalised homosexual relations. It was not until 1993 that it was decriminalised, marking a significant step towards LGBTQI rights in Ireland. Another significant step towards equality was taken by ICTU in 1986, which produced and implemented a radical policy for the time regarding lesbian and gay rights in the workplace. This paved the way for progressive legislation, including the hatred Act, equality in all public sector employment, sexual orientation on the basis of equality in 1993, the Equal Status Act 2000 and many other laws. I am a member of the Oireachtas rainbow caucus and we are progressing plans to mark the 40th anniversary of ICTU's progressive role in promoting equal rights. It was the beginning of a safer work environment, which made a huge difference to the lives of LGBT people of the time. Decriminalisation, led by the indomitable Senator Norris and others, including my pal, Kieran Rose, went on for 16 years but did not expunge prior convictions. My colleague, Deputy Ó Snodaigh, introduced legislation to do so, known as the disregard Bill. It has passed all Stages in this Chamber and is working its way through the Seanad. It will be enacted in the next few weeks before the recess. It is another milestone in righting wrongs. The rise of hate crime and anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric worldwide by bad actors is calculated to reverse hard fought human rights gains. It is a hateful and destructive narrative, fed by some world leaders. It is divisive and damages the human spirit. The manosphere narrows the mind and seeks to regress human civil rights and dignity. It is amplified by the increase in online and offline hate. It is a mammoth task to counteract this as a global political shift to the right is happening. Homophobic and transphobic rhetoric is seeping more and more into the public domain. We can never let our guard down. It needs to be called out. In 2015, marriage equality was a momentous and proud moment for Ireland, the first country to legislate for this by a referendum of the people. Those glorious days which were celebrated and embraced seem to have dwindled since then, with Trump and his cohort and Brexit and xenophobia playing their part as civil rights are being rolled back. Bród has come a long way. June is the month of celebration and Pride continues its success. More work is required. Nothing is ever done and dusted. Things evolve, damage is repaired and wrongs are corrected. Ireland's transgender healthcare is a mess. The National Gender Service is not fit for purpose. Trans people deserve care based on international best practice. Everybody has the right to safety, integrity of identity and happiness. Conversion therapy, which is abhorrent and has inflicted so much suffering, is another breach of human rights. The former Sinn Féin Senator, Fintan Warfield, introduced a Bill to ban it, as did Sinn Féin Minister of Communities, Deirdre Hargey, in the Six Counties. This legislation is the antidote to the barbaric and medieval practice of conversion. There is much to be positive about. A debate was part of a Pride event on Monday. It discussed statistics showing that we have evolved from a dark place of fear to an LGBT community that is more accepted and we are up there with the top countries in Europe. There is an accepting and welcoming involvement by all of us in shaping our society and island and respecting an Ireland for all.

As we mark Pride, we celebrate courage and resilience. However, Pride is not simply a celebration; it is also a call to action. For decades, LGBTQI+ people across Ireland were told they were less than equal. They were criminalised and excluded. Yet, through sheer determination and solidarity, they changed society for the better. We have come a long way. We have seen marriage equality become a reality. We have seen greater visibility and acceptance. We have seen countless people being able to live openly and in a way that is true to themselves, which is something of which previous generations could only dream. That progress belongs to those who fought for it, to those who marched when it was unpopular and dangerous to do so and to those who never lived to see the equality they helped to secure. While we celebrate progress, we must also be honest about the challenges we face today. Across Ireland and internationally, we are witnessing a disturbing rise in anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric. Online abuse and intimidation have become all too common. Both my son and I have personal experience of being at the end of such hateful attacks. Social media platforms are awash with hateful attacks directed at LGBTQI+ individuals, particularly young people and transgender people, and their families. Behind screens, some seek to spread fear and division. Words matter and hate has consequences. LGBTQI+ people have been subject to violent attacks and, tragically, lives have been lost. We remember those who have lost their lives through murder or suicide. We remember the people who felt they had no place in the world after experiencing rejection and bullying. Every single one of those lives mattered and is a reminder that equality on paper does not always mean equality in practice. While we have moved forward in many respects, there are areas where we have gone backwards. Rights that many believed were secure are now being questioned. Across the world, we see attempts to roll back protections, restrict healthcare and target transgender people. Those developments should concern us all. The lesson of history is clear: progress is never guaranteed and rights won through struggle can be eroded if they are not defended. As proud republicans, Sinn Féin's position is unequivocal in that the rights of LGBTQI+ people are human rights. They are not a matter for culture wars and should not be used as a political football. I stand firmly with LGBTQI+ individuals and families. We support equality and respect, strong protections against discrimination and the right of every person to live free from fear and hate. The hatred shown by those who seek to attack or intimidate people has no place in Irish society. We reject it. We cannot stand by while any community is targeted because of who its members are or whom they love. Pride is a positive force. It is about dignity, visibility and building a society in which all people can reach their full potential and live with respect and equality. When LGBTQI+ people thrive, our communities are stronger and our society is richer. Today, let us celebrate how far we have come, honour those who paved the way and, most importantly, remember those we have lost. Let us recommit ourselves to the work that continues. The struggle for equality is not over. Solidarity matters and an Ireland of equals must mean equality for everyone.

I welcome the opportunity to mark Pride Month. It is a time to celebrate diversity and inclusion and also to reflect on the journey that has brought us here and the work that remains to be done. Ireland has made significant progress in recent years in advancing the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ people, including, as my colleague Deputy Devine noted, through the work of ICTU. We welcome Deputy Ó Snodaigh's legislation and hope it will be passed by the House in the next couple of weeks. From the historic marriage equality referendum to the greater visibility and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people across society, these achievements are a testament to the courage and determination of the activists, campaigners, families and communities who have fought tirelessly for equality and basic human rights. We recognise the contribution of LGBTQ+ people to our families, communities, workplaces, our culture and our country. However, progress cannot be measured solely by legislative change. Last week, I met with a member of the LGBTQ+ community from County Mayo who spoke really candidly and honestly about the challenges many people continue to face, particularly in rural Ireland. Despite the advances we have made, too many LGBTQ+ people still experience isolation, discrimination and barriers to accessing the healthcare, including mental health services, they need and deserve. People living in rural communities should not have to travel long distances or face lengthy waiting lists to receive appropriate and affirming care. Everyone deserves timely access to healthcare and services that recognise and respect their identity and to mental health supports that are responsive to their experiences. We must ensure that young people feel safe, supported and valued at an early age. I commend our schools and teachers on the vital role they play in fostering understanding, respect and inclusion. However, it is the Government's responsibility to make adequate supports available at school level and within school communities to challenge discrimination and to ensure all young people know they belong and that they are not alone. Pride reminds us that we must continue to stand together to challenge prejudice wherever it exists and to work towards an Ireland where all people can live openly, safely and with dignity regardless of who they are or whom they love. It is beyond time that we stamped out hatred and intolerance everywhere in our society. People cannot abuse others either online or in person and then call themselves decent. A person who does that is not decent. The technology and social media companies that are making money on the back of such abuse have a responsibility to ensure it stops. Some of the material we see online, particularly in recent times, should be of concern to all of us. It is not acceptable. LGBTQ+ rights are basic human rights.

It is more than ten years since marriage equality was achieved. It is an achievement of which we all can be proud but it is important that we continue to strive forward until equality is achieved in every aspect of life for LGBTQI+ citizens. As we make statements on Pride in this House and as thousands take to the streets for Pride festivals around the island, it is easy to miss how much inequality still exists. It is important that we remind ourselves every June of where Pride really again, which was on the streets of Greenwich Village in New York. In Ireland today, in places like PantiBar and The George, gay communities are free to host and curate in spaces that are run by them and for them. That was not the case in New York city in the sixties. It was after the police raids at the Stonewall Inn in Lower Manhattan in 1969 that members of the LGBTQI+ community took to the streets to fight back against the persecution of sexual minorities and to affirm their rights as human beings in a world that was trying to marginalise and repress them. That is a burden that continues to be borne to this day with the rise of fascism and the far right and the efforts to erode rights that were hard fought for and won by the LGBTQI+ community. Those reactive elements also look to discriminate against and marginalise people of colour, women and anyone who comes from abroad. Marsha P. Johnson, a key activist for LGBTQI+ rights in New York city, once said, "No Pride for some of us without liberation for all of us". While Ireland may be progressive on LGBTQI+ rights in comparison with some other countries, we are far from perfect. Last month, a constituent of mine in Kildare contacted me to tell me about an ordeal she and her wife faced when seeking passports for their young twins. While both mothers are listed on the children's birth certificates and both are recognised in law as the parents of their children, the Passport Office sought court orders to explain how it is possible for two women to be on the birth certificate, asking invasive questions about the circumstances of the children's birth despite their mothers' legal parenthood. When I asked the Minister for foreign affairs to confirm whether this is standard practice for same-sex parents, the response I received from her officials was that they simply did not know. A system of institutional suspicion and shame surrounding same-sex parents in this State still exists today, just as it did historically. Caithfidh muid, mar shochaí, a bheith i bhfad níos tuisceanaí ar an bpobal LADTIA+ sa tír seo. Tar éis na mblianta fada a bheith ag troid ar son chearta pósta, sláinte agus fostaíochta, tá gnéithe den eite dheis ag iarraidh fáil réidh leo. Tá siad ag iarraidh fáil réidh leis na cearta sin ní hamháin don phobal LADTIA+, ach do mhná, daoine le dath agus imircigh chomh maith. Seasaimis go léir an fód ina gcoinne le chéile.

I too welcome everyone in the Gallery, including many former colleagues of mine who work in LGBT organisations across the country. They do phenomenal work every single day supporting people in the community. I thank them for their work; it is greatly appreciated. Pride is an important time of year and a very good celebration. It is also a protest and a time to call for progress. Sadly, we have not seen the kind of progress we need to see on these crucial issues. Sometimes when I listen to the speeches of Government Ministers I think I live in a different country. It was painful to listen to the speech by the Minister of State in which she described as one of the achievements progress on trans healthcare. We have the worst trans healthcare in all of Europe. How can a Minister of State stand in the Dáil and call that an achievement and say there is progress on it when the lived reality for trans, non-binary and intersex people in this country is awful in terms of accessing basic healthcare? Similarly, the Minister spoke about progress in terms of the community service fund. That has existed for many years now. It is basic funding to provide basic services, but it is not enough. It is a drop in the ocean compared to the need. The Minister of State mentioned progress on HIV and while the campaign is certainly good, the Government has given up on its target of ending HIV transmissions by 2030. It has admitted it is not going to get there. That is not an achievement. We are missing the mark. We could be ending HIV transmissions in this decade if we would just commit to putting in the services, doing the rapid testing and rolling out pre-exposure prophylaxis, PrEP. We know what needs to be done but the Government is not committing to doing it. It is deeply frustrating to have members of the Government come into the House and call these achievements when the Government is utterly failing to make progress on crucial issues. Conversion practices were mentioned. There was a commitment in the 2020 programme for Government to ban conversion practices. That is six years ago. The Minister spoke about taking time but how much time does she need? It has been six years since the Government committed to a ban. Eight other countries in Europe have done. We do not have to reinvent the wheel here. We can look at what other countries have done and implement it here. We do not have to keep waiting. We should not keep waiting and we should demand more. Assisted human reproduction was mentioned. It has been 20 years since the Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction produced its report. Twenty years we have been waiting. The Minister said we will have legislation this term. Does she mean before the Dáil recess? We need to know exactly when. Families are waiting to have their rights vindicated and the gaps in family law closed. We need to know when that legislation will be before the Dáil because we have waited far too long. The disregard legislation was mentioned. It has still not been enacted and we are still waiting for it to happen. It should have happened 33 years ago when the State decriminalised homosexuality. We have been left waiting and it not good enough. Rainbow flags outside Government Buildings are nice but what we actually want to see is progress on LGBT rights. I could come have in here and given the same speech I gave last year. I could have said exactly the same, because we have not made progress. If the Minister does not believe me, she should believe ILGA-Europe, which is holding its conference in Dublin this year. It ranks every European country on LGBT human rights and policy protections. It has ranked Ireland 14th year after year and has told us we are not making progress on this crucial issue. If the Minister needs to know what needs to be done, she should have a look at the policy platforms set out by the Social Democrats. We have listed the LGBT rights that need to be progressed. We need to see law reform, family rights issues addressed, the Equality Acts updated, legal gender recognition for non-binary people and a ban on infant genital mutilation. Ireland scored 0% on the ILGA-Europe rankings on the rights and protections for intersex people. We need a national action plan to ban hate crime. I could go on and on. We also need to address issues of mental health. We need better funding and services. We need to tackle HIV transmission and invest in community services across the country. We need to close the remaining gaps in the law and focus on the more marginalised parts of our community. A large number of people who are LGBT are homeless or seeking international protection. We need to ensure we have support and dedicated services in place for more vulnerable members of the community. We are not making the kind of progress we should be making on these issues. We also need to stand up to countries around the world that are rowing back on LGBT rights. We need to get a stronger stance in international and foreign affairs on these issues. I do not want to be back here next year saying again that we have not seen the kind of progress we need. I want the Government to make progress. I will cheer it on if it advances the law reform agenda set out by the Social Democrats and others, but the Government has not made that kind of progress. It has not done the kinds of things that need to be done to improve people's lives. During this Pride, we want the Government to make commitments to advance all of these issues and more.

I wish a happy Pride to everybody, particularly those in the Gallery who are visiting today. I welcome everybody to the House. This month is a celebration of our queer community. I want to give a shout-out to my daughter Bella, one of my favourite members of the queer community, and maybe I can also mention Anna Nolan, one of my other favourite lesbians who is in the Gallery today. Pride is also about its origins, which was about calling out the systemic ways in which the LGBT community are marginalised. We have to do that here in Ireland and recognise the ways in which we are failing those among us who are LGBT. My colleague Deputy Rice has just given a tour de force on how exactly that is happening. It is also important for us, as legislators, to acknowledge and recognise the ways in which we can fix this and the things we can do to make progress. I will tell a short story to illustrate three things, namely, the pride we are celebrating, the ways in which discrimination happens and what we can do to fix it. I was contacted by Joe Caslin, who is a brilliant mural artist. In the coming days, he will be unveiling a new piece, which has a trans theme and celebrates our trans community. Joe's work is hugely celebrated; it is beautiful, thought provoking and prompting. I am sure many of here will remember his work, The Claddagh Embrace, which, in the run-up to the marriage equality debate, really helped to prompt public discourse and dialogue about how we were all feeling about that debate, and also for us to see a visual representation of gay men. It was beautiful and really well received, and it is something I think we all remember. Joe is an incredibly well-respected, internationally-reputed artist. It was unfortunate for me to hear his experience. He was commissioned to do this work last year and we are at the point where it is about to be unveiled in the coming days. Unfortunately, what he came across as a street artist was a framework, when he was engaging with Dublin City Council, which was totally opaque and which did not nurture that street art as a genre or the community he represents. Instead, he was made to jump through hoops. He was given no clarity as to how the decision was being made. He was forced into decisions that he should not have had to make. It looks like a lot of these decisions are made in the planning part of the organisation rather than where they should be, which is in the artistic part of the organisation. Unfortunately, what this results in is that this art, which is such an important part of who we are, is relegated to construction hoardings and electricity boxes. This art is challenging, as it should be, and that is why we have to celebrate it. It is why I give a commitment to Joe today that I will do everything I can to resolve that and to work with my colleagues in Dublin City Council to make sure we acknowledge street art for what it is. Street art is a crucial way for us to recognise all parts of society, prompt dialogue and celebrate our queer community.

Why is Pride important and why do we march every year? I was contemplating these questions over the last while. For as long as people are being attacked for who they are, are not able to be who they are and are targeted for their sexuality or identity, we will need to continue marching. That is why. I look forward to Saturday. Verbal abuse of the LGBTQ+ community is a daily, casual occurrence. It is a chipping away of safety, security and belonging. An Garda Síochána said there has been a rise in hate crimes over the last number of years. Not all of these were aimed at LGBTQ+ people but sexual orientation and gender identity are among the monitored motivations. Belong To has recently opened a space for young people in town to make sure they feel welcome, they can be who they are and they can be with people who will accept them for who they are. I commend Belong To and its youth workers on creating that space for those young people. Belong To has found that one in four people has been attacked physically because of their identity. I will talk about teachers since the Minister is here. The INTO's LGBTQ+ teachers group has said that about one in five teachers in primary schools is not out in their school because they know that it would not be accepted. Even though there are protections in the employment equality Act 2015, the reality for so many teachers is that they do not feel they can be themselves when they apply for jobs, when they are in those jobs or when they are delivering the curriculum set out by the Department and the NCCA. The Children and Family Relationships Act did not include all children. I am thinking particularly of the families in my constituency who contacted me and who are looking for that legislation to be fully implemented. It is so important for those families. They love their children as much as everybody else and they need to be recognised like everybody else is.

Ireland has made remarkable progress in promoting and protecting the rights of LGBTQI+ people. Pride offers us a valuable moment to reflect on that journey, to celebrate the diversity, inclusion and joy that define it and to stand in solidarity with the LGBTQI+ community. I want to acknowledge those who campaigned for equality at a time when doing so required great courage. The freedoms we recognise today were hard won and Pride is both the celebration of that progress and a reminder that our work is not yet complete. We must ensure everyone in our society can live openly, safely and with dignity, especially our children and our young people, who deserve to grow up in environments that are supportive, inclusive and free from fear. Our schools are guided by a whole-school approach that prioritises respect, belonging and inclusion for every student. This is regardless of their background, beliefs, their sexual orientation or gender identity. Well-being sits at the heart of this approach because we know that when young people feel safe and supported, they are better able to thrive both academically and personally. However, we must also be clear eyed about the challenges that remain. Some LGBTQI+ young people still experience discrimination, bullying and isolation, both in person and online. There can be no complacency. We must remain vigilant in protecting that progress that has been achieved and in challenging any efforts to roll back hard-won rights. Throughout my Department, we are taking concrete steps to address these issues. The cineáltas initiative provides a comprehensive framework for preventing and tackling bullying in schools. This includes bullying related to both gender identity and sexual orientation. The bí cineálta procedures take a child-centred partnership approach. These procedures bring together students, teachers, staff and parents to create school communities that actively prevent and address all forms of bullying. We also continue to work closely with organisations such as Belong To, supporting initiatives like Stand Up Awareness Week. This empowers schools to foster respect and inclusion. This partnership reflects our commitment to building an education system and a society where every young person feels valued and supported. Pride is not only a celebration; it is a call to action. It reminds us how far we have come and of the responsibility we share to protect that progress and to extend it further. Together we can ensure that Ireland remains a country that is safe, fair and inclusive for all and one in which every person can be themselves without fear.

I am glad to have speaking time in this debate. I was born in 1982, so I spent much of the 1990s in primary school and secondary school, finishing up in 2000. During all those years the schoolyards were, I think, tougher places than they are now. I was a teacher before I became a TD and I think the school I taught in was quite soft and inclusive. However, certainly when I was in school, you shot insults from the hip like a gunslinger. Usually those insults were homophobic and they were thrown around the schoolyard here, there and everywhere, every single day of the year. To many, they were brushed off and were water off a ducks back but years later, I met some of my schoolmates who said how those comments hurt because during those teenage adolescent years, they were struggling with their sexuality. It was not a time when people would just come out, although nowadays some people do not come out at all. They just grow up, meet people and form relationships. They do not have to tell mom, dad or their circle of friends they are gay. Coming out is not a thing but back then coming out was a colossal thing. For these people to be struggling in those years and for everyone around them in the schoolyard throwing these insults, that was quite typical in the 1990s. I do not fault the school system, parents or anything. I think it was a cultural thing. It is a cultural thing that, to a large degree, we have overcome. I was delighted years later when holding electoral office that I and many more people of my era were able to atone for those schoolyard days when we went out and campaigned for marriage equality. Naively, as an ally of the LGBTQ+ community, I thought that was it. I thought that was the moon landing moment, that there is marriage equality, that it is fantastic and that anything that went before, including the illegality of homosexual relationships and the criminalisation people who were in same-sex relationships was all behind us because we recognised, as a State, that marriage equality was a thing that was to be cherished and respected but not so, as it turns out. What I increasingly hear when people come to my clinics and when I speak with the gay community in County Clare that life is not getting easier for them and, if anything, it is getting more difficult. They attribute some of this to the rise of the far right and an intolerance of people who might have different coloured skin, a different religion or who love differently. That kind of intolerance has no place at all in modern Irish life. It is 2026 and it has no place whatsoever in modern Irish life. Like others, I am alarmed. I am an INTO member and a teacher and I am alarmed that one fifth of my profession who identify as being LGBTQ+ have only come out in the school environment with the employers, colleagues and the school patron. That is something we need to seriously look at. Someone should feel comfortable in their workplace to be who they are. In that staff room over a cup of coffee, they should be able to talk about what they are doing with their boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife and what their weekend plans are and what their relationship is. All of that is quite commonplace and it should not be the case that someone feels they have to hide something from their employer or their colleagues and it is quite perverse in that regard. It is great that in this House we have had a Taoiseach who is openly gay as well as many Members of this House who are married and very open. Maybe they do not consider it day to day but they carry huge leadership roles within the LGBTQ+ community. However, as someone who follows sport avidly, it does concern me that in elite sport, we have very few people who have felt comfortable enough to come out and be able to share with fans and supporters. They share so much of their lives now. It is not just what happens on the field, on the court or on the running track. So much of their lives is now lived out on social media or on the back pages of the newspaper that have the sporting columns. Yet, within so many sports - I will not just single out one - they too feel the need to hide. I think some of that may be down to terrace chat. To some degree, it happens in Ireland but certainly in the UK when you go to soccer matches, the insults roared from the sidelines are not acceptable. We need to support athletes, in particular, because in music and in the arts there does not seem to be those same barriers and people can be who they want to be. In politics, thankfully, in 2026, any Member here who is gay is able to be, without any judgment. There are probably idiots online who give them grief but colleagues, from all political persuasions, would not. We are coming up to the fifth anniversary of the awful attack in August 2021 on Olympian Jack Woolley in Dublin city centre. He is someone who has represented our nation at the top level. He stood many times on the podium in his preferred sport, taekwondo. He is an outstanding young man. He was on "Dancing with the Stars" as well. He is an outstanding role model for young people and yet he was attacked just a couple of hundred yards down the street in Dublin for being who he is. That is wrong. To close on a positive note, I wish all who celebrate Pride, those who are part of the LGBTQ+ community - they will have to shorten that or make it easier for us to rattle off - and those who will march at the weekend a very happy Pride. As someone who grew up in the 1990s, with a bit of maturity and getting away from that schoolyard when the bell rings and all that happens in the schoolyard, I would be absolutely thrilled and delighted if any son or daughter of mine came out in years to come and said "Dad, I am gay, I love someone the same sex as me" but I hope they will not have to. I hope we get to that point. A lot of people are in inclusive families where they do not have to say that. Hopefully, that is the pathway forward for most. Those of us who sit in government and in opposition have to make sure public policy reflects the kind of inclusive values we have. One thing that jumped out from a few contributors today is the idea that four fifths of teachers - my own profession - who are gay feel they cannot say that in their work environment. That is something we need to reflect on. I am Chair of the Oireachtas education and youth committee and working in tandem with the Minister, we need to do a body of work on that because it is not acceptable.

Before I go to the next speaker, I welcome the ladies from Ballybofey and Stranorlar to the Public Gallery. They are here with Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher. I hope they enjoy their day in the Dáil with him. I also extend a very warm welcome to all of those in the Public Gallery who are here specifically for this debate. They are very welcome. We will now move to our next speaker, Deputy Graves.

Pride has grown from a small gathering in Dublin to a nationwide celebration of diversity and inclusion. While it is very important that we recognise and celebrate progress, we must not become complacent. There are those who would roll back the progress and drag us back to the dark and less inclusive times. Pride has its roots in the struggle for equality and human rights but now these human rights are under attack. According to Amnesty International, attacks and hate crimes against our LGBT+ brothers and sisters have significantly increased in recent years across Europe, Britain and the United States, with transgender and gender non-conforming people being disproportionately targeted. This is really concerning. This wave of hate does not happen in a vacuum. It is encouraged by political rhetoric and the online spreading of misinformation and lies. Unfortunately, we in Ireland are not insulated against this. An Garda Síochána recorded a 12% increase in reported hate crimes. A survey by Belong To found that, sadly, one in four members of Ireland's LGBT+ community has been physically attacked due to their identity. As politicians, we have an important role in challenging this homophobia and discrimination and to provide leadership. Pride must be more than speeches. While it is great to have the opportunity today to make our statements, simple gestures are just not enough. They need to be seen as a rallying call to challenge hate speech and misinformation. It means standing up to those who spread lies. Sinn Féin condemns these increasing attacks. We reject transphobia and homophobia in Ireland and overseas. I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Fingal Pride, which is part of Dublin Pride. Launched in 2021, its mission is to support people and their friends and families in Fingal by organising regular events and activities throughout the county and by increasing visibility and integration. This year, the theme is, "Beat a drum for Pride", with an event today in Clonsilla. I wish them very success. I would also encourage everyone to come along and join the main national Pride parade this Saturday at 12.30 p.m. at the Garden of Remembrance. Sinn Féin will be there front and centre on Saturday and I hope every other political party is well represented. Now, more than ever, we need to send out a loud, proud message: we do not tolerate homophobia or transphobia here in the Oireachtas, on the streets of Dublin, in the workplace or anywhere it raises its ugly head. Sinn Féin wants to build an inclusive, all-Ireland nation based on equal rights for all, and we will continue to work actively with the LGBT+ community across the island of Ireland.

I welcome the statements on Pride this week. Pride is as important as it has ever been. Pride is protest and it is a call on people to stand in solidarity with those who identify or whose way of life is under attack. I pay tribute to my colleague, Senator Laura Harmon, on her work and advocacy as cathaoirleach of the rainbow caucus. Speaking up for trans healthcare is so important, given that Ireland ranks bottom in Europe for healthcare provision. It is vital that we discuss Pride and highlight the culture war on the trans community. Many colleagues in this House, in government and in opposition, are allies who stand up to the hate levelled at trans people and I thank them for their advocacy and decency. We have seen the resignation of a Prime Minister in the UK in recent days. Starmer's Labour Government scapegoated trans people and painted them as an enemy to women. Rather than standing up for a minority group under attack, they furthered the misery and culture war on trans people. I know for certain that trans people in the UK will be happy to see the back of him. I genuinely hope his successor stands up for trans people and trans rights and changes tack from punching down on people who simply want respect and dignity - a bare minimum expectation from a leader who hoists the red flag. For same-sex partners, the fight for equality continues for what is an administrative change on the State's part that has brought consequences for family life and parenting. I commend the advocacy of Irish Gay Dads. Gay dads still face significant legal inequality in family law in the context of parental recognition, where many male same-sex families cannot get both parents legally recognised on their child's birth certificate from birth. I put it to the Government and the House that we passed marriage equality and changed the law. That work does not end there and I believe we have the numbers in this House to right the wrongs that still exist. I call on the Minister for justice to meet with Irish Gay Dads and begin this work. I only have a few minutes, so I cannot acknowledge every group or person but I would also like to commend Belong To, whom I have met with and regularly engage with, in particular on its research and advocacy in protecting young gay people online. I want to mention Cork's first LGBTQ+ inclusive GAA club, Na Laochra Aeracha, who have faced significant hurdles fielding their team due to the Ladies Gaelic Football Association, LGFA, strictly enforcing 2010 city limits rather than the expanding city boundary agreed upon by councils in 2019. Because of these restricted boundaries, the club cannot meet the minimum number of players required to legally register a women's team in competitive leagues. These matters can be resolved and I encourage the association to do it. I ask now that the Minister would engage constructively with the LGFA to do so. Having inclusive teams like this in our games only serves to grow our sports.

The point we have reached today, with Members proudly speaking on LGBT Pride, does not just happen. It comes after decades of work, bravery, courage and consistent fighting by advocates. We can never forget this. We must always remember this fact and remember the many people who broke down the closed doors and made Ireland a much more welcoming place for our LGBT comrades. They did so because it was the right thing to do and, in many cases, they walked a long and lonely road to get Ireland where we are today. I am proud to stand here as a member of the Labour Party, which has fought so hard over the years to achieve the social progress we enjoy in this country today. It was the Labour Party that in 1993 decriminalised homosexuality. We continued fighting for equality and, in 2015, delivered same-sex marriage, a defining moment in this country's history. In 2018, we secured an official State apology for gay and bisexual men, and I want to commend the work done by my Labour Party colleague, Deputy Ged Nash, who has tirelessly worked to ensure Government disregards these convictions. Pride is more than a celebration. It is a march founded on civil activism and protest. Pride is a collective of pivotal moments in Ireland's history that lead us to where we are now. We must remember this and how far we have come as an island.

I welcome the visitors to the Gallery. First of all, it is a real privilege to be a gay man because you are navigating a world that was not built for you. I think most LGBT people have a heightened sense of empathy because you know, for example, that many people around the world do not have the human rights which many of us - including myself, as somebody who is privileged enough to live in Ireland - take for granted. There are so many countries around the world where it is illegal to be gay. It was illegal to be gay here until 1993. There are so many men - and they are men - who are still living with convictions for same-sex activity. You are also free from the traditions, expectations and pressures that many of my straight friends have in relation to what I call the heterosexual normality of life. However, at the same time, the world is getting more dangerous for LGBT people, including here in Ireland. Homophobia is on the rise again. Transphobia is, unfortunately, becoming more and more normalised. It has even come into this House. It has crept in, in ways. People whom I would consider totally reasonable on loads of issues have said things on the record in this House, jollied up as concerns, that are, in effect, transphobic and dehumanising.

Hear, hear.

Furthermore, I look, for example, at Belong To and the work it has done, and the 87% of teenagers who have received online harassment for being LGBT. I can even look at my own social media. Any time I talk about any of these things, I get a plethora of stuff underneath the posts and, to be honest, it is horrible but it does not particularly bother me because I know there is some young boy or young girl out there in this country at the moment who probably thinks they are better off being dead than being LGBT. The fact of the matter is that while we have come so far, we have a much further journey to travel. We need to see the full commencement of the 2024 Act in relation to the issues around surrogacy. I have one friend who is a parent and is, effectively, legally a stranger in the lives of their children. We need to move on trans healthcare. Thankfully, by having the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, in government, we actually have somebody who genuinely gets it and wants to make a difference and will make a difference. We need to make sure that all forms of homophobia, including transphobia and biphobia, are called out and that we have zero tolerance.

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this matter today. This debate is particularly poignant for me because one of the members of my staff is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Mark, whom I work alongside every day, is someone I value enormously - he is my friend and someone whose experiences remind me that these discussions are not abstract debates. They are about real people, real lives and real journeys. Every LGBT person has their own story. Some are accepted early on in life. Others spend years wondering whether they will be accepted within their families, communities, workplaces or society itself. Some even emigrate to find that acceptance. As a party that was founded to protect workers, Labour can be proud of that achievement. We have always understood that equality is not simply about words or aspirations. The struggle for workers’ rights and the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights are not separate stories. They are part of the same stories; the belief that every person deserves dignity, equality and fair treatment. With that in mind, I want to pay tribute to former Labour Party Minister Mervyn Taylor, who was at the forefront of the struggle to ensure that equality that meant having the right to work, earn a living, provide for one's family and live with dignity, free from discrimination. To echo Deputy Crowe, not one person from any community, background or gender who walks into their place of work should feel bullied, isolated, ignored or discriminated against. No one should walk into their place of work with anxiety or have to take a circuitous route to get to their place of work to avoid someone who might make them feel like they are not good enough. To Mark, my staff member, and to the wider LGBTQ+ community, I hope I have done you justice to bring your experiences to life in the Chamber today.

Hear, hear.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this debate and to mark Pride. Pride is at the heart about people. It is about recognising the dignity, worth and equality of every person in our society. It is about ensuring that people can live their lives openly, safely and authentically without fear of discrimination, intimidation or abuse. Ireland has come a long way. Many people in this House will remember a very different Ireland. We have made enormous progress thanks to the courage of those who spoke up, shared their stories and challenged attitudes. That is progress we should be proud of, but we cannot be complacent and we still have work to do. I echo Deputy Sheehan's call for the commencement of the provisions in relation to surrogacy. Across Ireland and around the world, we are seeing an increase in hate-motivated incidents and a hardening of public discourse. We see examples of people being targeted because of their sexuality, gender, race, religion or simply because they are perceived to be different. Much of this is amplified online. Social media has brought many benefits but it has also provided a platform for those who seek to divide communities, spread misinformation and pit one group against another. Too often, bad actors deliberately exploit people's fears and frustrations for their own political, ideological or financial gain. We know this division generates clicks. Anger generates engagement. Outrage generates attention. However, the consequences are very real for the people on the receiving end. We saw that recently in Fingal when my colleague, Councillor Luke Corkery, who is in the Gallery, became the target of online abuse following his post on the gorgeous rainbow road crossing which was painted by Fingal County Council in Swords. People are entitled to have views on public policy. People are entitled to agree or disagree with decisions made by local authorities. However, what is not acceptable is the personal abuse, intimidation and hostility that can follow. Nobody should be subjected to harassment for championing and supporting inclusion, nobody should be subjected to harassment for who they are and nobody should be afraid to participate in public life because of the abuse they may receive online. The reality is that we do not have to agree with one another. In a democracy we never will, and that is a good thing. We will have different views on social issues, economic issues, local issues and national issues. Robust debate is healthy and essential, but there is a fundamental difference between disagreement and disrespect. We can challenge ideas without attacking one another. We can argue passionately for our beliefs without dehumanising those who hold different views. We can stand firmly for our values while still recognising the humanity and dignity of others. That is true when discussing Pride. It is true when discussing immigration. It is true when discussing housing. It is true when discussing termination of pregnancy or any other issue that comes before this House. The tone we set here matters. The language we use here matters. The examples that we provide matter. Public discourse does not stay in this Chamber. It influences conversations in workplaces, schools, sports clubs, community groups and online spaces throughout the country. Young people, in particular, are watching. They are learning what respectful disagreement looks like. They are learning how we treat people with whom we disagree. We have a responsibility, in every debate in this House, to ensure that the example we set is one of decency, respect and empathy. Pride gives us an opportunity to celebrate diversity and inclusion but it should also remind us of something broader, which is that a strong society is one where people can be different, hold different views and live different lives while still treating one another with respect. That is the Ireland I want to live in; an Ireland where everyone feels they belong, where nobody is targeted because of who they are and where our disagreements never come at the expense of our common humanity.

I welcome the opportunity to speak today as we mark Pride and reflect on the progress we have made as a country and, more importantly, the work that still lays ahead. I want to acknowledge my friends, family members and, indeed, colleagues here this afternoon as we mark Pride. It has been said here a few times already but Pride is not just a celebration; it is a restatement or statement of values. It reminds us that equality is something we must continue to advance, protect and, indeed, demand. Ireland's journey over the past three decades has been remarkable. In fairness, it has been slow but it has happened. The decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1993 was a foundation of reform that opened the door to a more equal society. The marriage equality referendum in 2015, which many people here were involved in, was another defining moment, not just legally but culturally. It demonstrated that the Irish people believe in fairness, dignity and the right of every person to live and love openly. However, progress does not mean that the challenges have disappeared - far from it. Recent data have shown that 22% of people in Ireland have experienced discrimination in the past few years. For LGBTQI+ communities, the figures are significantly higher; 59% of gay and lesbian people, 55% of bisexual people and 46% of trans and non-binary people report discrimination. The workplace remains the most common setting for harassment and exclusion. These numbers are stark and they reflect lived experiences that we cannot ignore. The Government is committed to building a safe, fair and inclusive society for all and the national LGBTQI+ inclusion strategy provides a whole-of-government framework to advance equality. Its vision is clear: a society where LGBTQI+ people can live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives, and participate fully in every aspect of Irish life. The accompanying 2025 to 2026 action plan sets out concrete deliverables across safety, rights, protections, health and well-being. From an inclusion perspective there are several areas where continued focus is essential. The first area is education. Young LGBTQI+ people deserve to feel safe, supported and respected in their schools, be that primary, secondary or third level. We know that early experiences of exclusion or bullying can have long-lasting impacts. Strengthening teacher training, embedding inclusive curriculums and ensuring that every school is a welcoming environment must remain priorities for both the Department of education and the Department of further and higher education. The second area is healthcare and mental health supports. LGBTQI+ people continue to face barriers in accessing appropriate care and many report negative experiences when seeking support. Improving cultural competency across the health service, expanding mental health supports and ensuring timely access to gender-affirming care are all vital steps in building a system that serves everyone fairly. Surrogacy has been commented on here on a number of occasions this afternoon, as has the full commencement of the 2024 Act. That must proceed. I have friends in same-sex marriages with children and they face difficulties day in day out, in terms of recognition. That needs to be prioritised by the Minister for justice. The third area is safety and confidence in reporting. Too many people still feel unsafe in public spaces or are reluctant to report harassment or hate crime. Strengthening community policing, which has worked well in a lot of other areas, improving reporting mechanisms and building trust between communities and the State are essential if we are to ensure that every person feels protected. As we mark Pride, let us recommit to the work ahead. Let us ensure our workplaces our respectful, our public services inclusive and our society one in which every person, regardless of who they are or whom they love, can thrive. Pride, as I said at the beginning, is a celebration, but it is also a call to action. I believe that this House working together can honour both.

I welcome these statements on Pride and the chance to talk of where it began in Ireland and where we are now. Pride began in response to the darkest of crimes. It has now grown into a beacon of light, positivity, progressiveness and inclusivity. Pride, a banner that previously criminalised and marginalised, is now one that cohorts of people can stand behind together full of colour and hope. The first Pride parade in Ireland was in 1983 in response to the homophobic murder of Declan Flynn in Fairview Park in Dublin. There were earlier smaller marches but this was the first Pride parade. It beggars belief that it took another decade and a case at the European Court of Human Rights brought against this State in 1988 by former Senator David Norris for the 1993 Act that gave us the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Ireland. It is almost unfathomable to me that homosexuality was illegal in my lifetime. That is why these statements on Pride are important. Even though gay rights have come a long way in a truly short period of time, we must be reminded that it is, in fact, a short period of time. Just like in previous decades, there are those out there who would row back on gay rights, ban Pride like they did in Orbán's Hungary - an EU country - and drag this State back to the Dark Ages. We must now and always speak up on Pride, support Pride, educate people on what Pride means and on what this State was like before Pride. We still have work to do to heal some of the sins of the past. That is why the joint Opposition Bill, originally sponsored by the now President Catherine Connolly, the Disregard of Historic Offences for Consensual Sexual Activity Between Men Bill 2025 is especially important. It is an example of a broad church of Opposition parties working together to correct a historic wrong and a stark injustice perpetrated on the gay community. It is testament to Pride that this Bill is on our legislative agenda here in the Dáil. However, it cannot and should not be left to this House to speak up for Pride and for gay rights. Pride parades in every county, city and town should be supported. As a straight woman, Pride is a movement that is close to my heart. In my first year as a Louth county councillor in 2016, I cut the ribbon to officially start the first Pride celebration in Drogheda and did so for many years afterwards. I have marched in Pride parades, I have attended events, and I was and am keen to show our LGBTQI+ family, friends and neighbours that modern Ireland is friendly, welcoming and accepting. It has also been a great honour of mine to support the Dundalk and Drogheda Outcomers and the Drogheda LGBTQ Social and Support Group in many ways over many years. They do phenomenal work in supporting the LGBTQ community in Louth. Their hard work, along with huge teams of political and non-political canvassers, including us here in Sinn Féin, drove Louth to a 63.5% yes vote in the May 2015 marriage equality referendum. It was a proud day for the wee county, a proud day for this State, and a sign of our more positive and more progressive times. However, there are still many challenges facing the LGBTQI+ community such as youth homelessness, mental health, violence and healthcare. These are all things on which we need to redouble our efforts to address. Pride seeks to address those issues as an unbelievably happy and positive social justice movement. It is actually quite unique. Everyone who supports Pride should be proud of Pride.

I acknowledge the presence in the Gallery of representatives of many of the LGBTQ+ groups around the country. I thank them for their work and I recognise that I, and queer people all over our country, enjoy rights as a result of their efforts. Pride remains an empowering expression of community, visibility and celebration. It is a chance for LGBTQ+ people to gather openly and proudly. However, as many of the speakers have noted, while it is an opportunity for us to reflect on how far Ireland has come in recent years, it also has to be a truthful recognition of the challenges our communities still experience. I have made the point in this Chamber and elsewhere that the trajectory of progress in Ireland has not all been one-way. In particular, the level of abuse that gay, lesbian and particularly trans people receive online, and now regularly in person as well, has spiked in recent years. Most gay people have had to deal with homophobia at some point in their lives. We learn how to deal with it, we learn how to overcome it and sometimes we learn how to ignore it. That can be a very deeply personal journey for each person involved. For a time in the afterglow of the marriage referendum, it was felt that we had turned a corner and that Ireland had settled a fundamental question about dignity and equality. I believe, as I know many in the community do, that there has been a change, and a change for the worse, in recent years. The biggest driver of that change is the poisoning of our online spaces. It is not right that harmful and hateful content can be posted and shared so widely. It is not right that an innumerable amount of bot accounts can spread this type of hate. It is not right that a person struggling to come to terms with their own sexuality or their own gender identity is bombarded with that content. In the past, at least you could be safe from verbal homophobic abuse in your own home space, but now through the ubiquity of platforms that abuse feel inescapable. It is not because there is suddenly more hateful people in our society but because social media platforms have built systems that reward outrage, division and fear. This is not a question about simply offensive comments online; this is a question about who feels safe participating in our public life. There are bad actors out there who would like nothing more than to stigmatise us and drive us back into the closet. We will not allow that to happen. As Dublin celebrates Pride this weekend we mark how far we have come. Let us also be clear that we will not accept any push-back on our LGBTQ+ rights; not internationally and not here in our own country.

Pride has always been a protest as well as a great party and a celebration, and unfortunately there is still a lot to protest about. The Government's record on trans healthcare is really shocking. It is the worst in the European Union with record waiting lists of up to 18 years for the only public gender clinic. You cannot talk about trans rights when you cannot access trans healthcare. It is eight years since the Government's own review of the Gender Recognition Act recommended non-binary recognition. Still, the Government has done nothing. I am pleased to support Deputy Coppinger who is introducing a Bill to recognise both non-binary and intersex people for the first time. I hope everyone in the House will support it. The rise in hate directed at the queer community by the far right is absolutely frightening. You see it. It is not just online. It is in the real world as well, with a big increase of homophobic and transphobic attacks both verbal and physical. All of that hate is being massively amplified by toxic social media algorithms designed to increase the profits of the big tech social media companies by pushing hate, whether homophobia, transphobia, misogyny or racism. Dublin Pride, Belong To, LGBT Ireland and TENI all want recommender algorithms to be turned off by default. They are not calling for under-16s to be banned entirely from social media, which can be a vital lifeline for young queer people who may be socially isolated. A survey of young queer people in Australia before the social media ban found that more than half felt they could more be themselves online than in person. A blanket social media ban on under-16s ignores that and lets big tech off the hook as regards cleaning up its act. This is why we introduced a Private Members' Bill months ago to require social media algorithms to be turned off by default. That now needs to happen urgently. It was a bad mistake on the part of the Government to vote it down. We need to turn off the hate against queer people that is being pushed by the likes of Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and the rest of the social media bosses. I will also say a word about the disgusting attempt to create a provocation at Pride this Saturday. A far-right Dublin councillor who is known for promoting racism and anti-immigrant hate is hosting a so-called "march for Ireland", coincidentally just an hour or two after Pride stops. Given his previous comments about the rainbow flag, I suspect this is designed to be a deliberate provocation. We will see, however. We will see that many more people will turn out for Pride to stand for equality and respect than those who will turn up to call for hate and discrimination against gay people, trans people, people of colour and immigrants. I believe there is a big majority on our side.

These annual statements are important. It had to be called out when they were not tabled in June last year. However, they also have to be real. We saw remarkable progress in 2015 with the same-sex marriage referendum passing after a grassroots movement. This was followed by repeal, the Gender Recognition Act and huge social progress. However, this is a completely different decade. Hostility, transphobia, homophobia, misogyny and racism are being unleashed. Within Ireland, while the Government is not doing that or anything like it, certainly not openly, progress has stalled. Promises the Government made in terms of non-binary recognition under the Gender Recognition Act, which were part of the programme for Government, still have not been fulfilled. I hope the Government and other Opposition parties will get behind my Bill to recognise non-binary and intersex people. Non-binary people are recognised in 17 other countries. Intersex people are also recognised in other countries. I will talk about trans healthcare. As has already been said, we have the worst trans healthcare in Europe. It has got worse even since last year's debate. A UCD report found a 13% increase in discrimination against LGBT+ people and an increase in the waiting lists. Some 23% of trans people report spending over €2,000 on healthcare because of the Government's failure. We do not have an informed consent model but a gatekeeping model. In the North, the Executive signed off on a ban on puberty blockers for teenage trans people, leading to a ban on all Assembly parties in eight Pride parades in the North this year. While there has been progress, we can clearly see that the influence of the far right and the anti-LGBT lobby is also having an impact. Belong To has talked about the experiences of young people. I do not have time to go into all of the details but rates of depression, suicidal ideation and so on are all much higher. We should be very clear. We need to correct some of the myths that are put out there. No surgery is done on young people in this country, with the exception of surgery carried out on intersex babies as the result of a push for a strong binary in our society. We need to turn these statements into action. We need to continue to support the LGBT+ community. We need to challenge the scapegoating of trans people. We need to stand rock solid against that and against the scapegoating of other minorities.

I am very pleased to be able to speak on this issue. It is hugely important. There is so much to be said about Pride and the importance of expressing pride and of facilitating that expression of pride but I will focus on two particular issues. The first is conversion therapy, which is not banned in this jurisdiction. This practice is there to "convert" or "cure" people of their sexual orientation or gender identity, or tell them that it is wrong, and essentially convince them of the opposite. It is appalling. The UN recognises it as a form of torture. It is done in the totally misguided belief that these things are a choice and can be changed when we all know they are inherent in people. Conversion therapy is banned in a number of European Union countries. Malta banned it in 2016. It has also been banned outright in Germany, France, Greece, Spain, Belgium, Cyprus and Portugal. The Dutch Senate has also recently voted to pass legislation to ban so-called conversion therapy. It is not banned here, however. It is still legal in Ireland. A landmark 2023 study by Trinity College Dublin confirmed that practices aimed at changing or suppressing sexual orientation or gender identity do occur in Ireland. That honestly surprised me. I thought that people's sexual orientation was just accepted in this country and that there were not issues with it. However, I have looked into this and it is still a major issue. Two successive programmes for Government have committed to a ban but it still has not happened. The then Minister, Deputy Roderic O'Gorman, announced research into a ban on conversion therapy in 2022 and reaffirmed the Government's commitment to legislating to ban the practice but it still has not happened. There is a gap there. It is something we need to fix. We need to bring in the legislation we promised we would. As I said, I was surprised. I am aware that it is a big problem in the United States and even elsewhere on this island. I did not think it was something that happened in this jurisdiction but, as I said, there is academic research showing that it does. Such a ban is therefore far more than symbolic. It is a real, practical and forceful measure that would prevent the genuine harm that is done to people who are subjected to this so-called therapy. It would also make an important statement to members of the LGBT community in this country, particularly young people who might be struggling with their identity or with something that is new to them, that they are as accepted as anybody else in this society by this State, that we stand with them, that they cannot be "fixed" and that they are valuable exactly as they are. I hope the Minister of State will take on board the need to move on that particular subject with a view to moving things along. The second issue I will mention is hate speech. There was hate speech legislation before the previous Dáil with a view to changing the law and updating the prohibition of incitement to hatred Act, which was so ineptly phrased that only 50-odd prosecutions have been taken under it. Again, you would like to think that in a modern Ireland, people who are LGBT or who present with a different gender identity would be safe from incitement to hatred and incitement to violence but they are not. Emily Bolger, who works in my office and who is incredibly valuable to us, tells me that she was abused on the street in town last night. Somebody across the street roared at her because of her sexual orientation. You would think that in 21st-century Ireland we would have moved beyond such absolutely craven nonsense but the reality is that it is still happening. We had a Bill in these Houses that aimed to advance the prohibition of incitement to hatred and incitement to violence. That has fallen by the wayside. It shows a certain political cowardice on the part of these Houses that we cannot address this issue, which we know exists, and put in place measures that protect not just LGBT people but anybody from a set of vulnerable groups listed in the legislation. The fact that we cannot do that is a really poor reflection on the ability of this House to enforce laws that make a difference to people's quality of life. That is what it is really about. It is about the notion that members of the LGBT community or any other minority or vulnerable community would be entitled to enjoy their lives and have space to go about their business, their social lives and their work lives where they live with exactly the same entitlement to peaceable enjoyment as the Minister of State, myself or anybody else in the county has. These two issues have been left on the table and we have not dealt with them. The time has come to deal with them. Let us ban conversion therapies and get to grips with hate speech and actions which incite violence and hatred against people once and for all, so that everyone can feel safe and included.

I am very grateful to be able to speak about Pride in the Chamber because it means so much to so many people. It is a celebration of love, identity, courage and hope. However, it is also a reminder of the journey that has brought us here and the responsibility we all share to continue to build a kinder, fairer and more inclusive society. I am proud to speak about Pride because it represents something much bigger that a parade or celebration. It represents the freedom to live openly, honestly and authentically, as well as the belief that every person deserves dignity, respect and the opportunity to be themselves without fear. Ireland has come a remarkable distance. In 2015, the people of Ireland made history by becoming the first country in the world to approve marriage equality by popular vote. That referendum was about far more than changing our Constitution. It was about recognising that love is equal. It was about neighbours, families, friends and communities standing together and saying that everyone deserves the same rights, respect and opportunity to build a life with the person they love. It was one of Ireland’s proudest moments, and showed the world what compassion, equality and hope can achieve. School remains one of the toughest places in Irish life to be an LGBTQ+ young person, with three quarters of these students reporting that they feel unsafe, and half experiencing bullying. No young person should have to feel he or she has to hide who he or she is simply to feel safe. Pride gives hope to those young people and reminds them they are not alone. It tells them there is a community that accepts and values them, and believes they deserve every opportunity to live full and happy lives. Pride is equally important for parents and families because every parent wants his or her child to grow up safe, confident and accepted. Many parents of young children carry worries, not because they are anything other than immensely proud of their children, but because they know society can still be unkind at times and worry about bullying, discrimination, mental health and whether their child will be judged for simply being themselves. No parent should have to carry those fears. One of the greatest challenges facing all young people today is social media. This has given many LGBTQ+ people the opportunity to find support, build friendships, and realise they are not alone. For many it has been life-changing but it does have another side. Too often social media rewards outrage instead of understanding. It can amplify division instead of dialogue, spread misinformation instead of truth and give a platform to abuse that would never be tolerated face to face. We are seeing, not just in Ireland but across the world, how online hostility can create a more divided society. If we want a more inclusive Ireland, we must ensure that the values we show offline are reflected online too. We must not forget the excellent services that our youth services provide in our local communities, especially those in my own constituency, where we have the Carlow Regional Youth Services in County Carlow, and Ossory Youth in County Kilkenny. Their staff and volunteers do unbelievable work for our young people. Continued financial support for them is essential to continue to provide these irreplaceable services. The Pride festivals of counties Carlow and Kilkenny are taking place in July. They have fantastic committees of volunteers who do outstanding work to make the city of Kilkenny and county of Carlow vibrant, colourful and safe places to be. When people march in Pride, they are not simply marching for themselves. The march for the teenager who is still afraid to tell his or her parents who he or she is, for the young person sitting in a classroom wondering if he or she will ever truly belong, and for those who still fear rejection because of who they love or how they identify. Their courage lights the way for someone else. We must continue to work harder than ever to build a society that is truly inclusive and respectful of all those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Those who identify as heterosexual have an equally important role to play. Being an ally is not complicated, it means standing up against bullying, challenging prejudice, speaking with kindness and creating workplaces, schools, sports clubs and communities where everyone feels welcome. Equality is strengthened when everyone stands together. The Ireland we should strive for is one where no one feels they have to hide who they are; a country where every child grows up believing he or she belongs. It is a society where difference is celebrated rather than feared. The marriage equality referendum showed us what Ireland can be when compassion triumphs over division. Let us honour that legacy, not only during Pride month but every day of the year, because love is love and no-one should ever have to live that love in fear.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an deis labhairt ag an díospóireacht seo. Pride, it is important to remember, emerged from repression, as a movement for equality. It is important that we celebrate all those who stood up and fought for change during periods when it was not easy to do so. In Ireland and in this State, Pride emerged as a response to what was, for much of our history, a conservative and reactionary State that was hostile in the extreme to anybody who was perceived as different, particularly gay people but also often women, working-class communities, republicans, and left-wing activists. Pride emerged from the horrific, homophobic murder of Declan Flynn in 1983, which rightly caused widespread revulsion. The Sinn Féin Ernie O’Malley Cumann from Drumcondra was part of that very first Pride protest in 1983, when activists marched to Fairview Park where Declan Flynn was killed. It was another ten years before homosexual acts were decriminalised and the Government only acted then having being forced to do so and having been dragged to the European courts. The reality, not always acknowledged, is that the reactionary Irish State was a harsh place for far too many people, particularly anyone who was different; as I said, gay people, single mothers, victims of abuse, those with mental health struggles and those from deprived communities. From partition to 1983, the Irish State treated gay people as criminals and outcasts. Male homosexual acts were illegal under laws inherited from Britain. The pervasive influence of the Catholic Church hierarchy reinforced stigma, censorship and silence around homosexuality. Before decriminalisation, many gay people lived hidden lives under shame, isolation and criminalisation. This had serious mental health and indeed, often tragic outcomes. Many gay people, like others who faced discrimination, just left what they considered to be a suffocating State to build lives elsewhere. I remember when I attended my first Pride parade in Dublin in 1997, there was still a sense of repression and isolation. It is right then, that at Pride we celebrate how far we have come from the dark days when Government Ministers dismissed any suggestions of law reforms, to the point where we had a successful referendum on the recognition of same-sex marriage. At the core of that vote in that referendum was the humanity of the Irish people and an understanding of why equality matters - something that reactionary Governments had lacked in preceding decades. We are proud of those who stood against discrimination during dark days and we are proud of those who continue to demand equality for all of our people today, including those from the LGBT+ communities. In particular, I welcome the fact that the Government has finally moved to provide for the disregard of historical convictions for homosexual activity. It should not have taken 33 years since decriminalisation to achieve this. It is further evidence that the work is not over and the aspiration of pride in, and equality for, all of our citizens remains unfinished business.

Some 43 years ago, the killing of Declan Flynn shocked Ireland. There were thousands who marched through Dublin afterwards to refuse to accept violence against gay people. I speak today as a gay man and I am proud of the history and of the rights the gay and lesbian community has won over those years. That violence did not end in 1982. In 2022, Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee were tragically murdered in County Sligo, because they were gay men. Their deaths are proof that hatred towards this community is not a thing of history but is indeed something of present tense. I raise this not for sympathy but for honesty about this movement and what it was built to fight. That is exactly why I will say what many gay, lesbian and bisexual men and women say privately and that many in this House are too afraid to say plainly, that is, this movement has been hijacked. It no longer speaks for the people who built it or the people who are still at risk. We are told to make room and redefine same-sex attraction to fold into the ever-expanding list of letters that has grown so broad it has become meaningless. Does anyone in this House know at this stage what the plus even means or stands for any more? That is not progress. To my mind, that is erasure dressed up as inclusion. I want to be direct about the flying of flags. I truly believe that one flag should belong to all our State buildings and local authority buildings in this country and should be flown for 365 days per year. That is the Tricolour. It belongs to every citizen regardless of their sexuality, religion or political belief. State buildings should be there to unite the citizens. They should not be there to divide for competitive identity groups, each waiting for its day, week, month or turn. I remind this House that men and women died for that flag; they died in 1916. They died afterwards fighting for the right to fly that flag for a free Ireland, the flag that draped the coffins of Irish patriots and servicemen in the Defence Forces alike. They did not die so that a sitting Member of the Upper House of the Oireachtas could stand up generations later and call it a source of terror. That is not just an insult to me; it is an insult to every Member and every family who buried someone under that flag and called it a price worth paying. I will name the hypocrisy plainly. Senator Eileen Flynn told Seanad Éireann she feels terrified at the sight of the Tricolour. She is a public representative, paid for by this State and she said it in a State building that flies the flag every day. That is not principle; it is an insult to every citizen who has ever stood under that flag, and I will not pretend otherwise to keep the peace. The people who marched for Declan Flynn did not march so that gay men and women could become a Government photo opportunity once a year. They marched for freedom to live without fear, not for the right to be paraded out as proof of what seems to be a progressive country, as it claims to be. We must not let their courage be reduced to press releases or photo opportunities. Their courage was not given so it could be borrowed by other people with other agendas. Lesbians, gays and bisexuals are citizens of this Republic, not props for other political uses. They marched once and, let me remind the House, they did not march so their fight could be handed over to others who shout the loudest.

LGBT and Pride. Pride stands for "respect". I listen in this House daily and people say "far left" and "far right" and brand everything. What is wrong with just being yourself? Why do you have to be branded? Respect means that if somebody is gay, lesbian or trans, you give them respect and let them give you respect. I do not believe in all of this branding. They are people, human beings. That is what they are. I have been attacked here and called far right and a homophobe and then people found out I have a son who is gay. Why should he be branded as gay? He is my son. He is a person. Why do we have to brand everything? Regardless of what you are or what you want to be, you should be treated with respect for whatever you want to be. If someone has a problem with that, it is they who have the problem, not the person who wants to be whatever they are. That is what it comes down to - simple respect. As a father, grandfather and public representative, I am hopeful that, in future, regardless of what you are and how you identify as in this country or in this world, you will be safe and when you go out, you will not be targeted or identified for being different. For decades, people who had disabilities were hidden from the public. Now, and rightly so, they are part of our families, communities and workforce, where they were previously identified and hidden away. If anything can be learned from this today, it is that respect equals pride. Regardless of what you are or who you are, nobody should be labelled. You are a person, a human being, and that deserves respect from all sides, regardless of your beliefs or religion. It does not matter. I have my religion and other people have theirs. I respect theirs and they respect mine. That is what I stand for - respect. If you cannot respect other people and you have a go at other people, even down to religion, then you have the problem. I do not and it does not bother me any more. There is only one answer I have for people like that; in one ear and out two.

I am pleased to join my colleagues today in marking Pride month. This is an important month to reflect on the role we each play in supporting equality and inclusion in Irish society. Pride is about visibility, dignity, respect and celebrating identity and belonging. As a Minister of State in the Department of Health, I am particularly conscious of the importance of inclusion services. Good public health policy must recognise difference and remove barriers to access. Members of the LGBT+ community can face more complex health challenges in relation to mental health, well-being and substance use. Our goal is for everybody to be equal. We want Ireland to be a place where absolutely everyone can live healthy and safe lives. As Minister of State with responsibility for the national drugs strategy, I am determined our drug and alcohol services across the country are designed to be accessible, safe and responsive. That is why building capacity within services to understand and meet the needs of diverse communities remains a key priority for me. Our community services enhancement fund has previously helped expand access for groups which can face additional barriers, including women, minority communities and the LGBT+ community. We also know that tailored supports are important. Dedicated services for LGBT+ young people, developed through local drug and alcohol task forces, provide safe and non-judgmental spaces for support. These services focus on education, early intervention and harm reduction, empowering young people to make informed choices and to seek help when they need it. The draft national drugs strategy for 2026 to 2029 places a strong emphasis on fairness and access and seeks to ensure services are responsive to the needs of all communities. We are also continuing to implement our national sexual health strategy and develop a model of care for HIV. This is alongside continuing to invest in PrEP and expanding access to meet demand. Every year, €6.5 million is invested in this and we also make sure we have the staffing there, which is hugely important. Our Healthy Ireland framework is also being reviewed for the first time since 2013. I want to ensure the importance of promoting good health and well-being for our LGBT+ community is acknowledged in the framework. Pride is a celebration of identity and community and I wish everyone who is celebrating this weekend in Dublin a happy Pride. I know Carlow is having its Pride parade on 12 July and Kilkenny's Pride celebration runs from 23 July but the parade itself will be on 25 July. We have come a long way in Ireland in improving rights for the LGBT+ community and it is important to celebrate this. It is also important that we are mindful of those who would seek to take us backwards or say we have not done enough. I know we need to do more and we have to do so. I compliment my good friend John Paul Payne who is organising the Pride parade in Carlow with a load of volunteers. Well done to him. Carlow Regional Youth Services has a dedicated youth worker and a safe drop-in place. All these measures are important. Pride is important, not just as a celebration but as a chance to refocus our efforts on making Ireland a truly inclusive society.

I often wonder why are we having these statements on Pride? I reflect in many ways on my own political journey and I remember that, as a student and young person, I saw Máire Geoghegan-Quinn decriminalise homosexuality. As someone who was very closeted at the time, that had a big impact on me in terms of challenging my own thinking. My experience, even though I never hid my sexuality, was that I ended up being outed by the media in 2006. What struck home to me about that was the support I got from family, friends and my local community. I knew the real Ireland that existed then. In 2012, at the Fianna Fáil Ard-Fheis, we became the second party to support marriage equality and, interestingly, the first to support same-sex adoption at the time. There was the joyous occasion of the marriage equality referendum in 2015. Now, we have a cross-party equality caucus here in Leinster House. I pay tribute to the leadership of the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, in that regard. In many ways, it is now unremarkable that we have so many Members of these Houses who identify as LGBT or as allies and no one really passes many remarks on it. I also see this in my local community, in the likes of The Vault youth centre in Arklow, the Gorey Youth Needs group and FDYS in Gorey, all of which have LGBT support groups. I pay particular tribute to Creagh College, which has done an incredible amount of work with the LGBTQ allies' support group in the school. The school has now achieved the Belong To quality mark. Incredible work has been done by the teachers and students to ensure the school is an inclusive environment. So many schools are doing that. I was at Gorey Library this week where, flying proudly outside the library, as indeed it is outside many libraries, is the Pride flag. It has a lot of books celebrating that and ensuring our libraries are inclusive spaces. When I look at all that progress I wonder if we still need to discuss and raise these issues. I am certain, even hearing some of the comments in the House today, that we do. I have no intention of pulling up the ladder on my trans brothers and sisters. We still have a long way to go, particularly in areas like trans healthcare. There is a responsibility on those who have been on our own journey to be supportive of those who still feel that the State is not recognising their needs or being sufficiently supportive. Reference has been made to social media. I am deeply concerned about Facebook. Meta is not taking sufficient action. Facebook used to be very much a community space for those who identified as LGBT to be able to come together. We are now seeing hate, particularly homophobia, discrimination and racism, being amplified. In the last year or two, in every single case where I have reported hate as being against the community guidelines that are set out, Facebook is upholding the content. There has to be a challenge made to Meta. If Facebook is taking part in the Pride parade in Dublin this weekend, it needs to look at itself and ask what it is doing as a company to be able to tackle this. Facebook, which was always an inclusive and welcoming space, has now gone nearly as bad as X in terms of fostering division and hatred. While we are fortunate in this country that we have come so far, we need to look at what continues to go on around the world. It is abhorrent that there are still countries where same-sex relations are illegal, even where there is an assumption that one has a same-sex attraction. Not only that but there are also countries where same-sex relations remain punishable by death. We have a moral obligation to continue to call out those countries. They include Brunei, Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and other parts of the world, including a number of regions in Nigeria where Sharia law is implemented. With regard to our foreign policy, I commend the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. When it comes to making decisions on overseas development aid, we should include a requirement that citizens are respected, regardless of who they love or are purported to love. The European Union must be a union of values as well as interests. I certainly believe that we are now seeing progress in Hungary where we had seen a lot of discrimination against members of the LGBT community. For countries on the accession pathway, these values also need to be very clearly communicated. I welcome that the Pride parade in Kyiv last weekend was ten times larger than normal. There is in Ukraine a recognition that the country needs to adhere to the value of inclusiveness. As others have said, this is a republic and we are judged by how we treat all of our citizens. For those who are LGBTQ, identify as LGBTQ or are our allies, I say "Happy Pride".

I am an Irish republican and I believe deeply in the principles of equality, solidarity and community. Those values shape my politics. They are also the values that exist at the heart of Pride. That is why I am proud to stand here today and every day as an ally of the LGBTQ community. Pride is a celebration of people being able to live freely, openly, honestly and without fear. It is about recognising the dignity and worth of every person and building a society where everyone feels respected and included. Tá cearta agus comhionannas ríthábhachtach agus tá sé chomh tábhachtach céanna go dtógfaimid pobal ina bhfeictear gach uile dhuine, ina gcloistear iad agus ina bhfuil grá, cineáltas agus meas mar chroílár na beatha. While we have made significant progress in recent decades, we know that the work is not finished. Many LGBTQ+ people continue to experience discrimination and isolation, and barriers to services continue to exist. We see this in areas such as mental health and housing in particular. Those challenges can be especially acute outside major urban centres. We know that visibility and representation matter. Knowing that you belong in your community matters. Every person, regardless of where they live, deserves to feel safe and accepted for who they are. We should also remember that the rights enjoyed today were secured through the determination and courage of many activists. There is nothing inevitable about the progress that we enjoy today. The progress made to date was only achieved because people stood up, spoke out, demanded equality and fought for it. Tá cumhacht ar leith ag baint le saol a chaitheamh le bród, le bheith mar chuid de phobal, le glacadh le daoine eile agus a bheith glactha ionat féin. Is é sin croílár an Bhróid. As republicans, we seek an Ireland based on equality and respect for all. We must continue working towards that full lived equality where every LGBTQ+ person is seen, heard, protected and valued. We know that Pride is about solidarity, community and belonging. Those principles are worth defending every single day of the year.

Gabhaim buíochas le gach ball a bhí páirteach sa díospóireacht thábhachtach seo. Guím Bród sona ar gach duine. Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle as ceannaireacht a thabhairt do gach Ball den Teach an tseachtain seo caite mar gheall ar cheiliúradh Bhród. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for her leadership as the custodian of the Chair of the House, for being impartial and for being a leader in building an equal and inclusive Houses of the Oireachtas. It does mean something and it is important. I thank all Members of the House for their participation in this important debate. It is not just a debate; it is an opportunity to participate in a discussion and look at where we have come from and where we are going to move to. I was struck by the varied contributions of the debate. Those people who know me will know that Harvey Milk has been a hero of mine. I was struck by these words of his: It takes no compromise to give people their rights. It takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no political deal to give people freedom. It takes no survey to remove repression. As we celebrate Pride and reflect on some of the contributions made in this debate, I am not being nostalgic in saying there are some key moments where we have jumped and made significant progress. This is Pride month, but not for everybody in the world, as we just heard. Just 12 months ago, in the European Union, people in Budapest were fighting a battle to have the right and ability to march, celebrate and protest. I thank Deputy Roderic O'Gorman and the former Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, for their leadership, and the Mayor of Budapest for having the bravery to have that parade. I was in Budapest recently and people were looking forward to Pride this year. Deputy Byrne mentioned Kyiv as an example of a place where people do not just want to celebrate, but to advocate and protest too. That is what this month is about. It is about that opportunity to shine a light on the aspiration of equality for all people that was spoken about at our coffee morning and the diverse, rich lives that our Proclamation speaks about, of cherishing all of us equally. As we heard today, not everybody feels they can inhabit that space and be free to be who they are. I thank the activists in the Gallery, those who are watching online and those who are back in the offices working to ensure we have people who will campaign, raise issues and hold us to account. I ask all Members of the Oireachtas to read this wonderful document by Transgender Equality Network of Ireland, TENI. I thank Daire Dempsey for putting it together. I also thank the Library and Research Service, which put together a comprehensive document for today's debate as well. I will come back to both those documents in a moment. I read an article in the Irish Independent during the week by Kevin Penrose, a footballer from Tyrone. He spoke passionately about his life. He said that for a long time he resented the sport as he never thought he could truly be himself, whether it was his sexuality or a GAA player. If we take the example of sport, look at the transformative change that has taken place in our country. There is acceptance, progress and inclusivity in the GAA, soccer, rugby and athletics, and they are just examples of some sports. That shows us the progress we have made. I also thank members of the Oireachtas equality caucus, which is led by Senator Laura Harmon, and our allies and friends. Deputies Devine and Byrne are here. These are meetings of people where there is little rancour. We have a lot of debate, we seek change and we work on a cross-party platform to deliver for people. The backdrop to this debate has been against some of the briefings and engagements we have had. One of the questions posed in this discussion today was why we still have Pride. TENI speaks about the outstanding gaps in the law, policy and services that prevent people achieving full equality, and that is the tenor that has come through some of the debate here. Many people who do not understand and do not necessarily read about the issues think the marriage equality referendum put a roof on the house but, of course, it did not, as we all know. It was an important milestone and an extraordinary result, but we still have significant work to do. For many of us in the community, and we heard it in the debate today, it feels like the world is in fire. Deputy Byrne listed a number of countries where no progress has been made and there is no recognition in any shape or form. I have had the privilege of being the Cathaoirleach and Leader of the Seanad, a Minister of State and a Member of the House. I have travelled the world raising matters and have been met with a frosty silence. In many ways, it reminded me of Bertie Ahern's image of playing handball against a haystack. However, in the despair that we heard in some of the contributions, we have to be optimistic. We have to continue with our statements, which have the support of so many. If we are honest about it, there has been monumental progress and a sea change in opinion in all our political parties, which allows us to have that person-centred approach so that we can have the gender-affirming healthcare service we need to have for our trans community and friends. Deputy Byrne is right. We cannot and should never pull the ladder up. We must fight, advocate and stand with our family members, colleagues and friends because if we do not, we will fail them. Building on the Gender Recognition Act 2015, it is clear that we need to reform and review our healthcare system, and inculcate the need not just a real pathway, but also the delivery of gender-affirming healthcare. We owe that to our trans friends, colleagues and family members. We are thankfully in a Parliament where the majority of us are on the same page. We may be on different lines but we are on the same page, and that is a positive. We have all met and spoken to representatives from End Discrimination in Inheritance Tax, EDIT, the reform group looking for a change to the inheritance tax. I pay tribute to James Sexton and his group on their campaign. It is an important point that it raises. Many of us who will not have children will be faced with that inheritance issue at the end of our lives. What we have or do not have is not the point. The issue is equality in the treatment of people. I hope the families EDIT represents will see a change in the policy around inheritance tax. Reflecting on today, the theme of love, acceptance and inclusion has come across very much. I will single out two people before I conclude. Bishop Paul Colton has retired as the Church of Ireland bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross. At a time when it was not popular, he led. He brought people and his church along. Deputy Carthy made reference to the church earlier and I think he may have been reflecting on the leadership of the Catholic Church. Bishop Colton made a hugely positive contribution. I ask all of the churches to reflect upon their attitudes and doctrines. As a former seminarian and someone with a degree in theology, I hope they do so because language and words matter. I also pay tribute to Kate Moynihan, who has retired as the chief executive of LINQ in Cork. A Kerry woman living and working in Cork, she did huge work building an inclusive and empowering society for women and all of us in the community. I thank her and wish her well in her retirement. As we head towards Pride at the weekend, the flying of the rainbow flag is about visibility. It shows that we have come from Stonewall, where oppression was the order of the day, to liberation today. To the Members of the House and staff, thank you. To our friends watching and listening at home, have a good Pride. Without our friends in the Gallery, who have worked so hard and are working every day, we would be a poorer society. As we have said, Pride is a day of celebration and protest. It is a day to be enjoyed and to walk with pride. To everyone, I say "Thank you". Gabhaim míle buíochas, a Cheann Comhairle, for your leadership.

I thank the Minister of State. That concludes the statements on Pride. I add my own voice in wishing everyone a happy Pride weekend. May the sun continue to shine for them, so they can enjoy it all the more.