Letter of the week
We must not be complacent on hate speech laws
Dear Editor, I was heartened to read that the proposed hate speech legislation had been shelved, at least for now, as reported in your recent article [The Irish Catholic – September 26, 2024]. The decision by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to withdraw the most controversial aspects of the Criminal Justice Bill is certainly a relief for all who value free speech. However, as Senator Rónán Mullen and Councillor Emer Tóibín have warned, this may only be a temporary reprieve. It is likely that the government’s decision was motivated by a desire to avoid contentious debates before the upcoming election, rather than a genuine shift in policy direction.
I believe in upholding the dignity of every human person, regardless of their background or identity. However, we must remain vigilant against laws that could undermine free expression and suppress legitimate debate, particularly when it comes to deeply contested issues such as gender ideology. Senator Mullen rightly pointed out the dangers of enshrining ideological definitions of gender into law, definitions that deny basic biological realities and impose an NGO-driven agenda.
Councillor Tóibín’s description of the bill as a “veiled attack on democracy” resonates with many concerned citizens. Free speech is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy, allowing us to engage in open, respectful discussion. The shelving of this bill may be a short-term victory for those who champion free expression, but we must not be complacent. We need to continue advocating for laws that balance protecting individuals from genuine harm while safeguarding the fundamental right to speak freely.
All who value free discourse should remain watchful and engaged as this issue is sure to resurface.
Yours etc.,
Darren Williams
Dublin 5
International surrogacy, human trafficking and exploitation
Dear Editor, I would like to commend Breda O’Brien for her article addressing the ethical concerns surrounding surrogacy, particularly in light of Ireland’s recent legislation on assisted human reproduction [The Irish Catholic – September 26, 2024]. Her piece sheds much-needed light on a subject that has been largely ignored by both the media and public discourse.
O’Brien points out the significant dangers international surrogacy poses, particularly with regard to human trafficking and exploitation. The fact that Ireland has passed legislation that could, knowingly or unknowingly, contribute to the exploitation of vulnerable women abroad is deeply concerning. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission’s warnings about this legislation, and the grim realities of trafficking for surrogacy purposes, are not mere hypotheticals—they are already happening, as we see from the horrifying cases in Crete and elsewhere.
Surrogacy, particularly international commercial surrogacy, undermines the dignity of both the surrogate mother and the child, treating both as commodities to be bought and sold. This raises serious questions about our responsibility to uphold the sanctity of human life and the rights of the vulnerable. O’Brien’s article rightly emphasises that these issues cannot be ignored, even under the guise of creating families.
Yours etc.,
Sarah Barry
Cork City, Cork
Teachers and the serious business of surviving
Dear Editor, Joe Duffy for the last two weeks has exposed the extreme violence and brutality inflicted on young children in our schools circa 1940 to 1980.
It is hard to believe that such savagery was not rare but common, Joe Duffy does a great job in letting victims speak. Despite the unforgivable actions of some teachers, an historian should investigate and tell us what happened but also why it happened, Joe Duffy does not do balance.
Just say four million children went through our national schools in these years, of which the callers reporting vicious atrocities against children represent 500,000 victims, that means that 3,500,000 million were not brutalised.
The general consensus from Joe and all contributors is to blame the Catholic Church even though the evidence presented contradicts this view. An equal number of the perpetrators in national schools were lay teachers as were religious. At one stage the Bible was blamed. The reason it happened does not in any way excuse the criminal behaviour of these perpetrators, but it explains why they got away with it. With almost no State help and big families to look after life was not regarded as fun like today it was a serious business of providing food and clothing for your family and surviving.
Because of this, parents wanted schools to toughen their children for the harsh world. A common question I heard asked by relatives in my childhood was “are the teachers tough?”. If you said no they would think it was a bad school. The perpetrators took advantage of the national consensus to commit these crimes. I went to school in this period and never experienced brutality. While Joe is very good to the victims and should be admired for this, he like all people in RTÉ holds a strong anti-Catholic bias, which is very unfair to good practicing Catholics.
Yours etc.,
Yours J. Hyland
Killiney, Co. Dublin