Ireland’s not backwards. We’re a couple of years behind parts of Europe, but vastly ahead of many other developed nations. The UK was – and still is – debating these issues to do with religion and homosexuality. I think Ireland is at the fire of gay legislation in relative terms – especially seeing we used to be run by the catholic church. Fair play to Averil.

Come on Ruaidhrí – you have to resist the cynic within. FF actually has very strong record on equality issues.

@Damien Kelly,

I agree with you. We’re way ahead of some countries in getting this into legislation. Everyone must remember that if it wasn’t for people like Senator David Norris that fought (nearly 14 years) single handedly to overthrow the anti-homosexual law here in Ireland (1988) life would not be as pleasant as it is now for homosexuals. It’s great that Averil Power and others are now pushing harder. There are many people young and older that still find it hard to let their families know of their sexuality. Sadly many become so low and depressed that they decide to take their own lives. It’s wrong. The sooner it comes into law the better and I would hope businesses, schools work with people accept them for who they are and what they can offer that school and business.

@ Damien Kelly: Couldn’t agree more with your comment. I’m sick of people (especially on this site) talking this country down so much. We are far better on many issues than other countries. Yes there are areas we can improve on, but in this particular area we are definitely going the right direction.

It is sad that in 2012 we still have to debate these things, that a change in law is necessary to prevent discrimination against anyone. Section 37 is nothing but pure discrimination.A good teacher, Doctor or nurse should be the requirement, capable of doing their job well not whether or or not they are attracted to their own sex. Seriously do they picture scenes of lesbian teachers making out in the classroom or gay doctors swinging their stethoscopes and saying oh my Mr Daniels your tumour is coming along just lovely, fancy a night of debauchery before you die?Bet they do! Well done to Senator power for tabling this.

Gay maths, the best kind of maths :D

Ed – would you please stop trying to link homosexuality to sexual abuse – it’s really obvious, trite and pathethic, and no one with half a brain would buy it.

It’s way more fabulous than Straight Maths!

Well this gay married couple in Amsterdam……. that abused 40 kids in a daycare centre… youngest 6 months. One worked there the other covered up?
http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/massive-child-abuse-amsterdam-day-care-centres

Redbird, that gay couple in Amsterdam were obviously monsters, but that doesn’t really have anything to do with the suitability of gay people to teach. If we were to list all of the straight couples who’ve been convicted of abuse we’d be here all day.

@ Ed, when things like that happen it is horrible but it is not based on the sexuality of an individual. Fred West and his wife raped and murdered a dozen women,The moors murderers, abuse happens regardless of the sexuality of the perpetrator. Homosexuals are no more likely to abuse children than heterosexuals. So your example is just an example of horrific abuse which is just as likely to have been committed by a heterosexual couple. This case highlights a need for intensive child protection strategies against abusers, not trying to scapegoat a sexual orientation

I hear a tall man was once convicted of a crime. And a short man. So I now only speak to people of average height. Though that changes depending on what country you’re in. So I always carry a tape measure with me.

Ed Redbird, if you persist on postulating such ignorant and bigoted views, I could happily post here a list of articles regarding sexual abuse, where the perpetrator was a nice, dandy heterosexual, and insist that only straight individuals molest children.

But I don’t speak Idiot so I won’t.

Sudden interest. If memory recalls it was FF governments that decriminalized homosexuality, expanded anti-discrimination laws in the past and introduced civil unions. In fact they possibly have the best gay rights record of any party in the state in government historically. Yes the party started out as yes men (and women) for the Catholic Church but the past two decades have seen FF become one of the most progressive parties in the state on this issue. Attack FF (legitimately) on economics issues all you want. However, the Republican ideals of equal rights and responsibilities for all citizens is something very close to the core if Fianna Fáil and the record speaks for itself. A more accepting population means the legislation can follow suit. Educating the wider population has bred acceptance and with that, equal rights. This process won’t be finished until gay marriage is a reality and adoption rights have been extended to all.

Spot on Eoin. +1

To be fair, the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1993 and the introduction of civil partnership were brought about because of the Labour and Green parties respectively. It was because of their presence in those two coalition governments that the reforms came about. Finna Fáil members, like Dermot Ahern in 1993, and Rónán Mullen and Fergal Quinn in 2009, have in the past been less-than-enthusiastic when it has come to equality reform.

I’m delighted with Finna Fáil’s support for equal marriage and adoption rights at the recent Ard-Fheis, and that the party has facilitated very important reform, but the record historically speaking is a bit lack-lustre.

Apologies, Sen. Mullen and Sen. Quinn were never FF senators, I was thinking of John Hanafin, Jim Walsh and Labhrás Ó Murchu, who resigned the party whip in protest against the Civil Partnership Bill.

It’s because for all other professions it’s already illegal to discriminate. If you get discriminated against in the catering industry you should automatically win your case if they can prove you’ve been discriminated against. However employers with a “religious ethos” have a loophole whereby the law technically allows them to discriminate. No one’s saying only teachers and doctors are gay, they’re saying they’re among the only ones not protected by current equality legislation.

no niall you dont automatic win your case hense why i said it, the law if there it should be ammended not another bill.

Sherbert, the current legislation means that if you take your case to the Equality Authority and can prove you’ve been discriminated against, you win. For teachers and other employees of religious organisations they can turn around and say “yes we discriminated, but we’re allowed to under law”, it’s a weird situation. To be honest, I don’t understand why they don’t just amend the current legislation and remove Section 37 instead of enacting a whole new bill, but sure if it stops the ridiculous “legal discrimination” that’s what matters.

”..but the law is there..”

…Yes but the current law doesn’t protect teachers and doctors, hence the urgent need for this new bill.

‘To think that other professions are not discriminating at present in been naive”

..Nobody is contesting that. Discrimination exists everywhere. But all other employees have the Equality Act to safeguard their careers and protect their rights….except a doctor or a teacher because schools and hospitals might have a religious ethos and therefore could legally discriminate. Everyone knows that this won’t put an end to discrimination full stop – but it’s a wonderful stepping stone and will still protect dozens of people living in fear of being ‘outed’ in the workplace. It finally equalises their rights with everyone else’s if they are found out and fired.

There are plenty of gay people who are religious, the same way plenty of Irish Catholics use contraception, have sex before marriage and get divorced. Should those people be prevented from working in schools too? Also, in Ireland teachers who aren’t religious (whether gay or not) don’t really have much choice where they look for jobs, 93% of our primary schools are Catholic.

Aside from whether its right or not, I don’t understand why people would train for a occupation that they know they’ll be persecuted in?

An eye opener for what exactly? That sex crimes exist? That couples can engage in sex crimes? That homosexuals can engage in sex crimes? What exactly is your argument here??? Josef Fritzl, Ted Bundy, Ian Hindley, Larry Murphy..they’re all straight individuals AND sex offenders. Does that mean you are too Ed RedBird?

P.s You can’t be fired for being a vegan in a butcher shop.

Redbird, obviously you keep your sexuality out of the classroom, that’s a no-brainer. It’s the same for straight teachers – they don’t tell the children about their romantic lives because it would be inappropriate. However, when it comes to things outside the classroom – staff social nights, discussions among adult colleagues about relationships – a gay teacher shouldn’t have robe afraid that being honest about themselves to their colleagues could result in them getting fired.