An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2022-07-07
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Lynn Ruane (IND), University of Dublin

Yes, I am making a point about what hate is and who we do and do not protect. Politicians correctly fight for the right to free speech but free speech cannot only apply to politicians and their actions in respect of particular communities or particular women or their statements on surrogacy, rights for trans people, LGBTQI+ people, the Traveller community or providing Irish homes for Irish people. We cannot only use free speech to suit ourselves. When free speech is turned back on those politicians in terms of how other people feel about their actions, ideologies and behaviours, they claim bullying and victimisation. If you want to be a supporter and advocate of free speech, you must expect the same to be applied to yourself. Free speech does not only mean that when I say something in this Chamber I am a bully but when you say it, it is an opinion. I am sorry but the double standards are unbelievable. They are all opinions or ideologies. We all assert them and use our privilege so we all decide which communities we want to protect or not protect. To be honest, to say people are bullies is just the sting of a dying wasp and I am here for it.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2022-07-07/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-21T01:01:02+00:00
Sitting date: 2022-07-07