Kathleen Funchion Highlights Pride Progress, Calls for Hate Crime Bill

I am delighted to get the opportunity to speak about equality, in particular how it impacts the LGBTI plus community, and in general, as the Minister has said, to wish everybody happy Pride and think what is really good this year, particularly on a day like today when it is so sunny out, that we finally have an event that is back in person this weekend, and to everybody that will be taking part, I know my colleagues will be out in support as well, and I think it is fantastic that we are living in a society, and sometimes, and particularly in this chamber, we probably have a lot of, you know, we are talking about various crises and various different things that are happening, maybe in housing and health, and sometimes it is nice to actually have debates where we are looking at where we have, there has been such progression and such progress, and the 2015 marriage equality referendum, you know, we really were world leaders in that situation, and I think it is something that we all should be very, very, very proud of, and I always remember it very vividly, we actually had a by-election at the same time, in Karl O'Kelkenny, so those two events, you know, I always think of it, think of that when I, when I think, which is seven years ago, today, or not today, but in May of, earlier this year, so it is hard to believe it is that length of time, I do think that there is a huge, kind of, there is a growing awareness in general, which is really good and really welcome, and I see it even, you know, with my own children, and their group of friends, and how school is now, and it is so different than anything, and I still, you know, refer to myself sometimes as a young person, and then I see when you have a teenager, you don't actually feel so young anymore, so, you know, it is only when you see your kids getting old, you realise, well, you must be getting older too, but it is, even since I was in school, it is much more accepting, and I love the, particularly, some schools are really out on their own, and I am not going to name or single out any particular school, but some are so progressive, and they are so into the individual, and they do not mind, you know, about children expressing themselves, and I think that is so, so important, I mean, it is really welcomed that, and encouraged that, and support that at every opportunity that we can, it really, you know, it is fantastic, even on the drive into Dublin every day this week, and for the last few weeks, you see all the pride flags, and various, even businesses getting on board, but I do want to agree with some of the points that the Minister has made, that even despite great strides in legislation and social awareness, there remains areas of concern, particularly in regards to health care, mental health services, and the level of awareness of the complex and specific needs of this community within our medical profession at times, and particularly, you know, anecdotal evidence suggests, but also coming from a constituency that is a mix of rural and urban, I do know that it can be a lot more difficult in a rural community, especially, first of all, you are living in a much smaller maybe town or village, and, you know, there is still, at times in certain areas, we have grown a lot, but there is still sometimes some stigma, and it can be very difficult, and it can be particularly difficult to access really crucial supports around sexual health services, you know, maybe some GPs, they might be kind of more old-fashioned in their approach, and that can be very, very difficult, particularly in rural communities, and even to get, you know, counsellors, or mental health services, and trans health care in particular, so I think it is really important that we see a lack of services and social outlets, we need to improve this, we need to grow on this, and we need to be particularly, I know it is everywhere, but it can be very specific at times in rural areas, and I think we do really need to look at that, so the work of amplifying and reforming legislation to provide a safe, inclusive, and secure country for all continues in earnest, and I have been involved, and a number of us have been involved with the Surrogacy Committee, for example, and some of the areas that we have been looking at are, in particular, issues facing same-sex couples, both male and female, regarding, you know, international surrogacy arrangements, and achieving parental regulation, recognition, and hopefully our committee has finished its public hearings, and will hopefully have our report published soon, and that, again, is just another step forward, and I think it is a really, really important one. Safety is obviously a really key concern for this community, and we unfortunately saw this in the most tragic way earlier this year, and just, well, I have the opportunity, and I know the Minister mentioned it, but I encourage the Minister for Justice to prioritise the Criminal Justice Hate Crimes Bill and publish it as soon as possible. It is a robust and comprehensive hate crime legislation which, when enacted, ensures the entire LGBTI community and other marginalised communities can feel safe going about their daily lives, and I think that sometimes there can be a sea change in the minds of society when something is actually in legislation, so I think it is really important that we have that. Whilst discrimination and difficulties in accessing services affects all ages, it is younger people that struggle the most with accessing information and assistance, so LGBT Ireland who operates a helpline highlighted that 64 per cent of all callers in 2020 were from young people under the age of 25, with the remaining 36 per cent under the age of 18, and the most common query was for help in coming out. I even think it is really important that the Minister made reference to his own situation and how it has progressed from when you were in school. I think that is really good for young people to see and witness, and I think that is really, really important. It also shows that despite great strides in awareness within the wider community and their own self-awareness of their own identity, many young people obviously still do struggle confiding in family and peers. I also want to welcome the £900,000 that was made available this week by the Minister for Children in relation to NGOs and community services for the LGBTQI plus community. I understand this funding will maintain and enhance existing services which focus on improving the quality of life and wellbeing for all members of this community, and I know it will be very welcomed. We all want to see people from this community empowered and supported to actively feel 100 per cent comfortable, as everybody should, and so many of us probably just take for granted at times as well. I am going to finish on that because I have total lost track of time and I thought I would only take a few minutes, and I think I am after eating into loads of the time. But I do want to reiterate again to everybody that is celebrating Pride this weekend in particular, and I suppose just send our solidarity to them as well. Thanks.