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I called on the Minister for Health not to recklessly make telemedicine abortion permanent but to immediately instigate a comprehensive investigation into the operation and impact of such abortion appointments in Ireland to date. ![]()
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The very least we could do in this House is to have a serious discussion about something so potentially far-reaching.
The publication of the hate speech / hate crimes legislation is very important. ![]()
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Striking the balance between freedom of expression and prevention of incitement to hatred in our society can be difficult. ![]()
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States sometimes get it wrong when they clone other countries' legislation in this area, where governments respond to public pressure by rushing in with simple solutions for complex problems.![]()
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We need to scrutinise it carefully.
Much of today’s political and media discourse prizes half-truth and oversimplification.![]()
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The next generation of Irish people deserve a climate of respect for ideas and for the complexity of things. ![]()
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In todays, The Irish Times, read my contribution on why we need to challenge group think and encourage a culture of independent research and opinion forming.![]()
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www.irishtimes.com
A new Oireachtas essay competition for senior cycle students aims to foster a climate of respect for ideas and the complexity of things
Speaking at the Education Committee, we need to talk more about family and marriage breakdown. There is a crisis in this area in our society but we don’t talk about it very much.![]()
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Education Committee Tues 25th Oct
youtu.be
Great gathering of educational leaders at the NAPD conference in Galway. Grateful to speak with Lynn Kidney, Rockford Manor School and Anne Gorby, Mercy College, among others about the Oireachtas Essay competition.
Many thanks to Joe and all at Shannonside radio this morning. Grateful to have the opportunity to speak about the Oireachtas Essay Competition for senior cycle and AS/A level students. ![]()
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Registration deadline, 15th November!![]()
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Speaking at the Education Committee discussion on Mental Health this morning. ![]()
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I noted the positive influence chaplains have on communities and whether the spiritual and moral educational of pupils is lacking in our schools?![]()
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People have raised concerns with me about the new SPHE curriculum currently under review. ![]()
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Today, Tuesday 18th October, is the final day for making submissions to the NCCA's consultation process. An opportunity to make your voice heard. ![]()
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ncca.ie/en/junior-cycle/curriculum-developments/social-personal-and-health-education-relationship...
Looking forward to this important event tomorrow which I am attending along with some of my Oireachtas colleagues. ![]()
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I hope to see you there!📢MARCH FOR LIFE - BE THERE‼️![]()
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This Sat 17th Sept @ 2.30pm. Stand united with pro-life Oireachtas Members to demand that pro-life voices are heard.💪 Please help ensure the Dublin March is a huge success!🙌![]()
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www.marchforlife.ie![]()
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Please SHARE this and SPREAD the word.
Speaking in the chamber this morning. This parliament cannot be the place where dissenting voices get cancelled. We have to be the remedy to that problem in society, insisting that people who have mandates of various kinds, get to represent the views of their electorate fully and thoroughly. That starts with not guillotining legislation and it continues with committees being ready to hear different points of view instead of coming together with one sided reports and recommendations.
Speaking in the Seanad this morning about last Friday’s US Supreme Court decision, suggesting three lessons for us in Ireland.![]()
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1. The debate about human rights is never over. It is my hope that the humanitarian human rights vision of including everybody will prevail over an individual choice ethic.![]()
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2. Regrettably, Irish media had hardly any interest in hearing the views of prolife people about how the American decision might change Ireland. ![]()
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3. Can we restart that conversation to arrive at some consensus that while we may have different views on the legality of abortions, they are regrettable, and try to work together to reduce the number of abortions in this country.
The recent out-of-court settlement for €70,000 which arose out of a child having had an accident in a playground. The maximum award under the personal injuries’ guidelines agreed by the Judicial Council for an accident like this is €30,000. That is €40,000 less of Dublin ratepayers' money that is available for services. ![]()
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It raises the question of liability and the consequences for schools if awards like this keep getting paid out. Will playgrounds have to close?![]()
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Some years ago, I placed the Civil Liability (Schools) Bill 2019 on the Order Paper. It is time for Government to reconsider my Bill and put it back on the Order Paper to afford protection to schools and to protect them from excessive payouts.
Speaking about the latest British abortion statistics and the number of women giving Irish addresses. ![]()
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The vast majority of abortions are now taking place in Ireland and the figures for abortions taking place here have vastly increased since abortion was legalised. Thousands more innocent lives have been lost. There are children who would be alive today who are not because we legalised abortion in Ireland.![]()
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The other aspect is those British statistics concerning the couple of hundred Irish women giving Irish addresses, the biggest single reason in the context of disability was Down's syndrome. This is something that proponents of abortion do not mention and it is something that should make us all think.
I am glad the proposed meeting to bring in representatives from RTÉ on foot of the discussion of transgender-related issues on "Liveline" is not now going ahead. The knee-jerk nature of last week's reaction by the joint committee on Media was ill advised.![]()
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This does raise issues concerning free speech and freedom of expression in our society. We should get back to this in the context of reports that the legislation on so-called "hate speech" is due in the autumn.![]()
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In a healthy democracy, all sorts of points of view get to be raised and the threshold should be very high indeed before anybody can be prevented from doing so or from being in any way persecuted or prosecuted for expressing a point of view that they are willing to back up with sound argument while avoiding abuse, incitement to hatred or any kind of threatening behaviour. We must, though, always err on the side of facilitating free speech.
We must have a debate in this House about the persecution of people for their faith worldwide, in particular the horrifying attacks that are going on against Christians in Nigeria.![]()
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The Nigerian Government is pushing an analysis that seeks to portray these atrocities as happening in the context of disputes between tribal people over land.![]()
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Frequently, disputes over land resources cotton on to religious differences but if we describe people as victims as well as perpetrators of atrocities in the same breath, then our words lose the power to condemn and bring about change.
I was very happy to welcome Congressman Neal yesterday. It is always a special occasion when we welcome American politicians to this country.![]()
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We need a strong America. Many of us respect the diversity in US debate. There is sometimes a groupthink in this country and in Europe. There is a balance to be struck between groupthink, on the one hand, and excessive discord, on the other, we might say.![]()
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As for the conflict in Ukraine, we are facing into a frightening situation if the grain Ukraine is producing that is so vital for the poorest and the poorer countries in the world does not get out of that country in the coming weeks. I do not know how that is to be solved, but I pray that America can use its position of great power to try to help find a solution so we are not facing appalling hunger and starvation in the Middle East, north Africa and south-east Asia.
Speaking about the National Maternity Hospital this morning. ![]()
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Has it suited people to ferment controversy about the contribution of religious institutions and personnel to Irish social life? ![]()
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Why trash faith-based hospital given their impressive record compared to other institutions all things considered? The disaster of a wrongly diagnosed unborn child being aborted at Holles Street would not have happened at a Catholic Hospital and I think people should reflect on that. ![]()
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We need ethical diversity at the very least. A referendum doesn’t change that.
I hope to make this on Tuesday evening. Always great to see Johnny perform live and to hear his poetry, melody and message.
Delighted to support Senator Ronan Mullen's annual sale of Easter Chicks 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 ‘𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝’.![]()
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Well done to Senator Mullen, his friends and neighbours in their local parish who knitted the chickens, which contained a chocolate egg. ![]()
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This year, the projects helped:![]()
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- providing fortified milk and school materials to over 200 children in the Philippines;![]()
- assisting Kenyan shepherd children to attend night-school; and![]()
- nutrition and education of street children and disabled children in Tanzania.
Timeline photosThe deadline for making a submission to the Government’s Three Year Review of the abortion law is 5pm today‼️⏰⌛![]()
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To sign and send the instant submission to the Three Year Review, 👉www.prolifecampaign.ie/submission/![]()
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Thank you for taking the time to make your voice heard!![]()
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We MUST take this opportunity to stand up for unborn babies and their mothers!![]()
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#threeyearreview #prolife #prolifegeneration #chooselife #loveboth
In recent days I have been contacted by several constituents regarding issues they are experiencing with the public consultation process of the three year review of the 2018 abortion legislation.![]()
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It seems that the public consultation process is being conducted in an extremely rigid manner through an excessive focus on the Act’s “operation” and members of the public are feeling discouraged from engaging with the Review because of this.![]()
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This is not conducive to gathering the views of a full spectrum of public opinion. Nobody’s sincere views should be excluded in such a forum, which is meant to allow the public to voice their opinions and highlight what matters to them.
Speaking in the chamber today with concern about an interview carried in the Irish Independent last week and would like to compliment #griptmedia for bringing what appears like a very serious breach of journalistic ethics to public attention.![]()
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Highlighting unfairness, untruth, manipulation whether it is by politicians or in the media is part of our job as legislators. This is our forum to call for fairness for all sides in debates.
As a strong advocate of freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, I cannot support the ‘Safe Access Zones’ Bill that was before the house today. ![]()
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Leaving aside the many questions regarding its constitutionality, if it were passed it would seriously diminish the fundamental rights and freedoms of a particular group of Irish citizens, namely pro-life supporters.![]()
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Once we single out any section of society and deny them the protection of the law and the care of society, we are on a very bad road and, sadly, others will suffer in due course.
Speaking on the motion proposed by my Seanad colleague, Senator Michael Mcdowell, that this house accept the findings of the publication of the judgement of the Uyghur Tribunal on 9th December, 2021. ![]()
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Asking the Minister of State at the Dept. of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Thomas Byrne, some hard questions:![]()
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Will the Minister of State ever say that China's sovereignty does not extend so far as to remove it from scrutiny and criticism of the human rights abuses in which it is engaging? ![]()
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Will he acknowledge that China is engaging in them? ![]()
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Will he go further than expressing mere "deep concern", hiding behind international institutions and saying we should let them in so they can tell us what is going on? ![]()
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Does he accept that China is perpetrating these horrors?