Synthetic Broad
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broadsynthesis.bsky.social
Synthetic Broad
@broadsynthesis.bsky.social
41 followers 28 following 290 posts
currently researching: politics, human rights, the HSE/NGS, hate groups, etc - w regards to LGBTQI+ and specifically trans rights in Ireland and EU...

...and posting through it

(she/her)
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broadsynthesis.bsky.social
so was it Hogan or an editor (presumably from misunderstanding the title of his most famous work) who posthumously promoted Machiavelli from civil servant to prince?

(thread on some issues w this article)

www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/pe...

1/8
screenshot of examiner article by Richard Hogan, alongside the text being referenced, discourses book 3 ch 2 incorrect description of Machiavelli + odd quote "Niccolò Machiavelli was the master of subterfuge and obfuscation. A sleight-of-hand trickster whose name became synonymous with political manoeuvring and expediency. He was a morally bankrupt prince who once uttered into the universe that sometimes it can be, “a very wise thing to simulate madness”. "
October 2, 2025 at 5:05 PM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
.. giving a general overview.

Its odd to see this being rolled out now, I wonder how it relates to the "digital euro" that the EU commission has been on about - right now, with the given description, it seems to be a feature-incomplete revolut-ish app

www.nexigroup.com/en/media-rel...
Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI), the voice of banking and payments in Ireland, commented on the announcement through the words of Brian Hayes, Chief Executive BPFI: “We are delighted to join AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB in announcing the introduction of Zippay to the Irish market next year. Developed in response to ustomer feedback and demand, this will provide a quick and easy way to send and receive money or split bills with friends, family and contacts who are also Zippay users. It will be delivered through customers’ existing mobile banking apps and therefore comes with all the same high levels of security, protection, and digital safety and avoids the need for topping up a digital wallet or downloading a separate app”. Describing how the app will work, Mr Hayes continued: “Eligible customers will automatically be enrolled to Zippay, which will appear in their personal banking app once the service is launched next year. It will use mobile numbers saved in the customer’s contact list to identify who else uses Zippay. There will be no need to set up a new payee or know their IBAN, BIC or account numbers, the money will transfer between accounts seamlessly. The service will allow customers to send up to €1,000 per day as well as request up to €500 per transaction. It will be simple, speedy and secure”.
September 18, 2025 at 9:30 AM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
note there are no links, only titles *one* author and year

searching a random selection i found reference no .40 tricky,
google scholar provides a single result (2nd image)

however there is a near-identically named article (with the same authors) here
www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...
Effect of pubertal suppression on psychological parameters in gender-diverse youth and their caregivers Gohil A. 2020
August 18, 2025 at 9:01 PM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
*this* is a paper that has been "screened and included"
Demographics, behavior problems, and psychosexual characteristics of adolescents with gender identity disorder or transvestic fetishism Kenneth J Zucker, Susan J Bradley, Allison Owen-Anderson, Sarah J Kibblewhite, Hayley Wood, Devita Singh, Kathryn Choi "This study provided a descriptive and quantitative comparative analysis of data from an assessment protocol for adolescents referred clinically for gender identity disorder (n = 192; 105 boys, 87 girls) or transvestic fetishism (n = 137, all boys). The protocol included information on demographics, behavior problems, and psychosexual measures. Gender identity disorder and transvestic fetishism youth had high rates of general behavior problems and poor peer relations. On the psychosexual measures, gender identity disorder patients had considerably greater cross-gender behavior and gender dysphoria than did transvestic fetishism youth and other control youth. Male gender identity disorder patients classified as having a nonhomosexual sexual orientation (in relation to birth sex) reported more indicators of transvestic fetishism than did male gender identity disorder patients classified as having a homosexual sexual orientation (in relation to birth sex). The percentage of transvestic fetishism youth and male gender identity disorder patients with a nonhomosexual sexual orientation self-reported similar degrees of behaviors pertaining to transvestic fetishism. Last, male and female gender identity disorder patients with a homosexual sexual orientation had more recalled cross-gender behavior during childhood and more concurrent cross-gender behavior and gender dysphoria than did patients with a nonhomosexual sexual orientation. The authors discuss the clinical utility of their assessment protocol. "
August 18, 2025 at 8:40 PM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
2024 hse annual report, wonder what "escalation" was done re MoC for "gender healthcare"

given this + the recent dail statements i wonder if the ngs interrogators are worried that, for the first time, *they* will end up in a room being asked deeply unpleasant probing questions
cover for HSE annual report 2024 "model of care for gender healthcare" mentioned as coming under some scrutiny
July 25, 2025 at 2:58 PM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
Please tell me if this makes any sense as Neff and Kearns are currently active in the NGS

Am I reading this incorrectly or is it patently false
National Clinical Lead - Dr Karl Neff The National Clinical Programme for Gender Healthcare is not directly involved in providing a clinical service to patients and their families. For all clinical matters contact your GP or healthcare provider. If you have any queries about the work of the programme please contact us on: ncp.genderprogramme@hse.ie.
July 9, 2025 at 5:02 PM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
"members of the public" are advised to submit peer reviewed articles if we think any have been missed.

the literature review has reportedly already been completed at this time and no articles are currently listed, however...
What are the clinical outcomes of medical transition? A review of the evidence base is planned with respect to known clinical outcomes in medical transition: details on this systematic review are registered on PROSPERO (www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero) under registration number CRD42024596567 This work is underway, with the support of the HSE Library Service. Interim results of this systematic review will be made available for public review. If any member of the public feels that an important academic paper, that has been published in a peer reviewed journal, has been omitted, there will be an opportunity to submit it for consideration. Any submitted papers will be reviewed in line with the inclusion and exclusion criteria in the PROSPERO registered protocol: please see www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero under registration number CRD42024596567
July 9, 2025 at 4:55 PM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
I am quite willing to believe Elenor Sanders is sincere in her stated support, btw
screenshot of Elenor Sanders from twitter - rt'ing a post by UK Mission Geneva re LGBT+ rights, using a pride and trans flag
June 20, 2025 at 9:12 PM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
- so, the UN meeting
yes?
- with the Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity
oh
- how do we avoid looking bad?
seeing as "fuck the trans" is basically policy?
- yes. Cass, puberty blockers, supreme court, it is a lot
maybe.. ..rainbow lanyard?

webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1f...
uk rep to the UN, white suit jacket makes the rainbow lanyard quite prominent
June 20, 2025 at 9:05 PM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
Keogan comes to the defence of an irish tiktok user and says, re Trump & Conor McGregor

"While there are criticisms to be made of McGregor, ultimately he was enabled by the decades of utter silence on immigration by all the same Members who criticised him."

www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/d...
I also welcome our Cavan guests this afternoon. I would like to address two important issues: immigration and freedom of debate. Last week in this Chamber and in the Dáil, many of our colleagues lined up to denounce Conor McGregor and the speech he gave in the White House concerning our current immigration crisis. While there are criticisms to be made of McGregor, ultimately he was enabled by the decades of utter silence on immigration by all the same Members who criticised him. This point was made last week by the famous Irish influencer Garron Noone, and for the sole act of acknowledging that there was an immigration issue, Noone was harassed and bombarded with abuse and was forced to take his accounts down. If the severity with which Noone was treated for an objectively mild and milquetoast statement came as a shock to anyone in these Houses, the fact is that this incident is typical of a culture of silence and of suppressing dissent, a culture that has been created and even actively encouraged by the vast majority in these Houses. Let us not forget that only last year the Government was attempting to eliminate the presumption of innocence in the name of fighting hate speech. Luckily, I am glad that Noone has come back to social media and says that he stands by his statements. I applaud his integrity in standing up for himself and staying honest and I look forward to his future reviews of chicken rolls and cups of tea. Ladies and gentlemen of the House: stay delicious.
June 15, 2025 at 6:32 AM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
the Senator calls for an "executive order" to "get rid of the plastic straws"

note
1. it is likely "paper" straws were meant

2. Ireland does not do "executive orders" in the manner of the US

3. the powers of an cathaoirleach ("the chair") are quite limited, see www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/o...
I am delighted to see the Leader back in the Chair this term. With the increase in the Dáil numbers from 160 to 174, in recognition of our growing population, it would be wise to revisit our numbers within local government. In the 2014 local government reforms we reduced our local representation from 1,627 to 949. Our population in 2014 was 4.6 million and today we have a population of 5.5 million. The CSO expert group has projected our population to grow to 7 million by 2050. That would mean every councillor would be responsible for 7,500 citizens. We also need to look at the introduction of an European affairs office within all local authorities. Few counties have these but this needs direction from our new Minister. Millions of euro in grants are going elsewhere because local authorities do not have dedicated staff sourcing and applying for these grants for communities. That leads me also to call for the introduction of a European affairs strategy policy committee to be financed by our new Minister. It is vitally important that those within local government know what directives, regulations and decisions are coming out of Europe. I call on the Leader to request the new Minister of State, Deputy John Cummins, to come into this House to discuss his vision and that of the programme for Government and to listen to the voices within this House as well. If the Cathaoirleach has any pull at all and can make an executive order, can we please get rid of the plastic straws? An Cathaoirleach: Plastic straws, okay.
June 15, 2025 at 6:17 AM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
the senator gives congratulations to trump and strings along various terms which could be called far-right dog-whistles

(I would be quite happy to just call them 'fascist')

www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/d...
I will start off my congratulating President Donald Trump on his win. The people have spoken and President Trump is their choice. This should be a wake-up call for Ireland's politicians with regard to pushing agendas that are not in the best interests of the Irish people. Rising inflation, the cost of living, homelessness, crime-ridden cities, dereliction, drug-infested areas and no-go cities are just some of the many issues that resonated with voters in the United States. Are we any different here? Patriotism will always win over globalism when the political system does not work for its citizens. We must embrace the challenges that are ahead of us as an economy and engage with the new administration in the coming weeks to ensure that our economy and our fiscal policies are ready to deal with any shocks that may unfold. It is always better to be sitting at the table, discussing and engaging, than to be outside the door. We Irish must always strive for world peace and engage fearlessly for that peace, even with those with whom we do not agree.
June 15, 2025 at 6:06 AM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
another entry in the "WHO pandemic treaty panic" series, the Senator accidentally makes a point she wouldn't possibly agree with were it invoked by a trans person demanding basic equal treatment by the HSE in accessing healthcare.
Medical privacy and personal health autonomy are essential in a democracy where citizens are free to make healthcare choices privately. This is another rubber stamp we can be expected to rush through these Houses before the end of May. It is obvious that pharmaceutical money talks in these Houses
June 15, 2025 at 5:09 AM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
the senator goes on a transphobic tear, praising Hungary (again) for its policies.
the reactions are quite appropriate

www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/d...
Senator McGreehan : My gosh. In the words of Miley Byrne, "Well, holy God." There was a whole lot going on there, Senator Keogan. One of many things that struck me is that you said you speak for the mammies of Ireland. You certainly do not speak for me and I am a mother of Ireland. Senator Flynn: Hear, hear. Senator McGreehan : You do not speak for me. Please do not put us all in that wee box. Do not do it. It is unbelievably insulting and shocking the stuff that comes out of your mouth. We are all able to question but you take a tiny grain of question and go with it and run down that rabbit hole as quickly as you possibly can to get those Twitter likes and get the videos up there as quickly as possible. It is soul-destroying.
June 15, 2025 at 4:48 AM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
just wanted to share this comment by Senator Gavan (SF) during the Digital Services Bill debate
We must also ensure that very large online platforms take responsibility for cracking down on online scams and fraudsters. Another major issue we are seeing is the spread of disinformation and all kinds of lies and far-fetched conspiracy theories. Indeed, Senator Keogan will be well acquainted with some of these. The more the lies are shared as if they were true, of course, the more people start to believe them. Unfortunately, trying to counteract the lies afterwards is a much more difficult and slower process.
June 15, 2025 at 4:30 AM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
teachers are engaging in "intellectual abuse en masse" by "indoctrinating" young children with "trans ideology"
I object to the Order of Business and request that No. 4 on the Order Paper be taken with debate. That is the motion regarding the establishment of a special committee on gender equality. This summer, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth launched a consultation seeking the public's view on a review of the Equality Acts. The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m, tomorrow and everyone should make their voices heard. There is significant concern among parents as to the presence of harmful ideological beliefs being taught in our schools, having been introduced by political lobby groups. The Irish National Teachers Organisation, INTO, LGBT+ Teachers' Group has resources that introduce trans ideology to junior infants - children as young as four years old. The training video shows a teacher telling a class that a boy can change into a girl and that a girl can change into a boy. At any level of biological reality this is simply not true. Teaching this to young children who lack the critical thinking ability to assess the claim is the textbook definition of "indoctrination" and disrupts a critical developmental stage when children need certainty and consistency in their lives. It is intellectual abuse en masse of a captive and impressionable audience who trust the adults in charge of them. The INTO LGBT+ Teachers' Group, BeLonG To and ShoutOut have been allowed to bring harmful and inappropriate resources, interventions and programmes into school. The fruits of such activities were readily seen last month when an Educate Together secondary school displayed a poster that stated lesbians are non-men attracted to non-men. Why are we so afraid of the word "woman"? I fear for our children, particularly young girls who are the future women of this country and who have been given the short end of the stick by these organisations achieving their political goals. This is a very important issue for debate in this House and we would welcome it.
June 14, 2025 at 7:34 PM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
returning to Keogan, waxing conspiratorial about Pfizer and quite concerned about bodily freedom (to not take a vaccine)

www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/d...
Pfizer's CEO has said that people will likely need to have an annual Covid vaccination for many years to come. In other news, the CEO of Coca-Cola recommends a can with every meal, because I am sure he is just concerned for people's safety. Let us check the stock markets. What is that? Point 4. In the week that Omicron was discovered, the wealth of the eight top Pfizer and Moderna shareholders rose by a combined €9 billion. I will outline the lesson takeaways. Governments globally have collectively made ordinary participation in society contingent upon consumption of the product of a private company, under direct or indirect threat of force. Over the past two years, the livelihoods of ordinary people have been steadily siphoned into the pockets of pharma and tech giants. The only hope we have is in recognising this is entirely unsustainable and will end. I hope this will be sooner rather than later.
June 14, 2025 at 7:29 PM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
Senator Warfield (SF) quite rightly calling out some of Keogan comments.
Senator Mullen (anti-lgbtq+ anti-abortion, anti-progress-in-general catholic reactionary) does his usual disingenuous two-step when called out, Keogan pleads innocence, Senator Byrne (FF) does not equivocate
There are reasons people find it so difficult to live at peace with who they are and to whom they are attracted, both physically and emotionally. The criminalisation of homosexuality until 1992 created a dark cloud over our country, enabling the kind of homophobia that existed in the institutions of the State, an Garda Síochána, in these Houses or among people who took it upon themselves to beat or sometimes kill those who did not conform. More than six years on from marriage equality, almost monthly, there are reports in the LGBT press about homophobic and transphobic attacks. LGBT youth are still bullied in our schools for who they are and what they look like. More than one third of students reported being shoved or pushed because of their sexual orientation. One in ten of them have been punched, kicked or injured because of their sexual orientation. To accept that reality is to invite depression, anxiety, self-harm and attempted suicide. There are chilling statistics on all of this. Last Tuesday, a Senator here spoke about the INTO LGBT group, BeLong To, Ireland's LGBT organisation for young people and ShoutOut. The Senator said that these groups "have been allowed to bring harmful and inappropriate resources, interventions and programmes into school". These groups do life-saving work, for which I thank them. I want to work with Senator Keogan because I believe the kind of Ireland I caught a glimpse of in her contribution and articulated in her speech last Tuesday is not the kind of country in which she or any of us here want to live. My intention is not to embarrass anyone, it is more a plea to Senator Keogan to reflect on the power of her words. I also rise to protect the integrity of the work these groups do and highlight its importance in combating the bullying of LGBT youth by creating a safe and inclusive environment in our schools and allowing all children in our schools to be well informed about their family members, friends and schoolmates. I know that Senators Warfield and Keogan are good people and people of goodwill, and I believe much more unites than divides them. However, this is what I would like to see. Criticisms may perhaps be made regarding what is sometimes now put across in our schools. We can all unite about making our schools cold houses for bullying of any kind and promote the self-esteem and identity of every person while allowing people to have their deeply felt values and convictions, as they do about sexuality, family and all of that, all of which are really important. We need to stop shaming people for their points of view and get into discussion to see what can unite us. I was not due to speak this morning but I was in my office and I listened intently to Senator Warfield’s contribution. I have never come into this House without doing research on subjects I have spoken about. When I speak about something I speak with knowledge of the subject I am talking about. With subjects like this, I always come from a place of love, compassion and a wish to protect children. That is all I come from. If anybody wants me to brand me as anything else, I would say that the three things I always bring into this Chamber are love, compassion and protection when it comes to the safeguarding of our children. We may have different views on things. When it comes to subjects like that or the education of our children----- (Through the Chair, please. We are not having direct conversations.) Sorry, through the Chair. My door and heart are always open to talk about issues. When it comes to the education of our children, it is important that we have these conversations and that the correct policy is there to educate our children, from primary through to secondary level. I certainly want children to grow up in a happy environment and to be the people who they are. I endorse the remarks of my colleague, Senator Warfield, in response to comments made by Senator Keogan last week. I happen to know the work that BeLonG To, ShoutOut, Transgender Equality Network Ireland, TENI, and the INTO LGBT+ Teachers Group happen to do. They provide confidence to young people when they are often at a particularly vulnerable stage in their lives. Their motivation is not political. Their motivation is purely about giving young people certainty, often at a very vulnerable stage. It is important to acknowledge that work in this House. We have made enormous advances in tackling homophobia. We have probably not gone quite as far in tackling transphobia. There is still much work to do and language does count. For young people, particularly teenagers, it is really important that they feel that they have the support at that stage in their lives. I strongly support Senator Warfield's remarks in that regard.
June 14, 2025 at 6:42 PM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
poverty is transing the kids(!)

The Senator is a prolific (not sure how else to put it) foster carer, and while that should be something completely commendable I do worry for any trans kid who might find themselves in her care

adults stuck living with unsupportive parents have a hard time
I had an issue with one particular child who came into my care. I will not give a name but she was a 12-year-old girl. I would never have considered the issue but she came in with a hoodie and tracksuit bottoms. She had no other clothing because she came in the middle of the night. The following day, after getting to know her a little bit, I went shopping with her. She told me she is not like the other girls in her class because she does not have any money to get her hair or nails done or wear nice clothes. Everything is a hand-me-down. She said she does not identify as a boy or a girl yet. I said "look it, you are just you for now". I brought her into a shop and the first section she went to was the girls' clothing, where she picked out all these lovely girls' clothes she wanted to buy. I never really thought that poverty could play a part in determining one's gender in life. She was wearing hand-me-downs from her brother and that is all she was getting at home. She had not looked for girls' clothing as a result. As soon as she got the opportunity, she went to buy the little tops and cardigans, along with a pair of trousers. I wondered if children are choosing a gender because they are living in poverty. Could that be a reason for children having gender identity issues? I never really associated poverty with gender identity issues until that very moment. It was certainly an eye-opener for me
June 14, 2025 at 6:21 PM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
quite the admixture here - the need to earmark funding for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (etc) is something i also strongly support. respect for all people? absolutely!

the Senator then shifts into complaints about being shouted down for her "views"

www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/d...
At the end of the day we can get bogged down in attacking all sorts of facets of Irish society, from male sports to single-sex schools, but I believe that that is missing the point. Ultimately, it comes down to respect and to honour. These are two virtues which I feel have been sorely lacking for some time now in our culture. We can do a great deal by instilling a sense of respect in the inherent dignity of every person in our schools. Respect has to be much more a part of what is said at school during the day. Respect has to be part of every situation, every day, both in dealing with children and when children are dealing with one another. We cannot learn to give and show respect if we are not taught it, and schools have a very significant role to play in this. New programmes which deal with respect should be introduced to our schools, first explaining and showing the child what respect is, giving examples of it, and pointing out why this is called respect. Programmes have to include strategies for dealing with inappropriate behaviour towards all people, regardless of gender. All the programmes in the world will be of severely limited use if their messages are being undermined at home. A child can hear respect in school but if they do not see it at home they will never live it out. How do we react in situations of upset, disagreement or dispute? How do we treat people with whom we disagree? Do we interrupt them, shout them down or refuse to listen to another point of view, as happens in this Chamber? Might we choose to honour, to show respect, to engage and, perhaps, to work through our differences to the betterment of all? I do not want to see the women of this country merely not being subjected to violence. I want to see them honoured and respected. That is not going to come through legislation, a citizens’ assembly or a “Prime Time” investigation but will come about through the choices that each and every one of us make every day.
June 14, 2025 at 6:01 PM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
oct 2021 - citing "the countess"

an astroturf (astroterf?) anti-trans conspiracist organisation who shamefully appropriate Constance Markievicz's image

the woman herself would likely not be pleased - given her sister Eva was quite their polar opposite

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urania_...
A recent webinar held by The Countess, a new group advocating for women and children, brought this information to parents and members of the school community, and they were inundated with questions as parents voiced their serious concerns with this state of affairs. We must ensure the highest standard of care possible for all children, including the children themselves who may be experiencing confusion around their identity. After all, anywhere from 63% to 94% of children who experience gender dysphoria will no longer experience such feelings by their late teens. Those children are not well served by social transition, which is a powerful psychological intervention, placing them on a pathway to puberty blockers and hormone therapy. I recently discovered that if a girl is given testosterone for a mere three months, she will experience irreversible facial and chest hair growth for life, which is a tall price to pay for a decision made in one's teens.
June 14, 2025 at 10:09 AM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
it appears (and we will see this repeated) the senator is taking up talking points from the US with "late-term abortions" and "pain relief for the unborn"

note that Senator Bacik immediately corrects Keogan claim that no data is being kept re abortion (happens often)
Finally, on reproductive health and abortion, I say in support of Senator Mullen that the review is welcome. I was not aware until yesterday that no data on abortions were kept. I am particularly concerned about the late-term abortions and the question of pain relief for the unborn. A question and conversation needs to be had on this. While many support reproductive health, I am sure that, similarly, they will show compassion for the unborn and, it is hoped, agree to support pain relief in late-term abortions. On a point of order, data are kept and there are specific provisions in the 2019 legislation to ensure data are kept on terminations of pregnancy.
June 14, 2025 at 9:04 AM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
2021
the senator has been back-and-forth on whether vaccines are safe and why the government hasn't moved faster to vaccinate while objecting to lockdowns (etc), there is this amusing interaction in march
I have many matters to talk about but on behalf of the Fine Gael Party, I will back up Senator Chambers's comments. I am sure we all agree that Senator Keogan's comments are an absolute disgrace. They are personalised comments about a Minister who, as most Senators would agree, is one of the most accountable Ministers in coming to this Chamber on a weekly basis. There is no one more accountable than the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, in terms of the work he is doing. Tell me what I said that was wrong. Absolutely everything the Senator said was wrong.
June 14, 2025 at 8:50 AM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
December 2020 is when the senator first brings up tavistock
I wish to raise a very sensitive subject. I expect many parents and teenagers are concerned about it and they probably do not know where to go after the ruling in the UK against the Tavistock Clinic on gender identity. A landmark judgment was made in a court in the UK against a children's identity clinic, the Tavistock Clinic, for prescribing puberty blockers to a child under the age of 16. She is now 23 years of age and is detransitioning back to a female. The court ruled that it was doubtful that those under the age of 16 could understand the long-term, consequential effects of the treatment, and it was unlikely that they could give informed consent. In February, Irish doctors raised concerns about gender identity services at Crumlin hospital in Dublin. The service is provided by flying in two clinicians from the clinic. I also note that nearly 80 children under the age of 16 have travelled to the UK in the past three years to undergo gender identity transitioning. I would like to have a debate in this House and for the Minister to come in and tell us what he is going to do about this. It is a very serious case. There are many children out there this morning who could be taking puberty blockers at this time, and parents could be facilitating that, so we need direction from the Minister on this issue.
June 14, 2025 at 8:31 AM
broadsynthesis.bsky.social
(Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2020: Motion)

The green party are terrible for trying to "kill off the hunt in this country" as well as their opposition to greyhound racing.

Animal cruelty (which a hunt isn't?) is bad, but the Senator raises that HSE funded abortion is worse
I welcome the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, to the House as it is the first time we have had the opportunity to address him. I wish him every success in his ministerial post. I welcome the opportunity to speak in favour of this motion to provide State funding to Horse Racing Ireland and Greyhound Racing Ireland in 2021. Horse racing, the thoroughbred industry and greyhound racing are vibrant and important parts of the culture and economy of this country, particularly the rural economy and rural life. We have a long and proud tradition of horse racing in Ireland and the steeple chase began in Cork in 1752. Horse racing in Bellewstown in County Meath, where I am a volunteer member of the committee, took place in 1726. The money we get from Horse Racing Ireland every year is constantly improving facilities there for animal welfare. We welcome that. Horse racing provides direct and indirect employment of 29,000 people, generating €1.9 billion annually for the economy. Ireland is the third-biggest producer of thoroughbred foals in the world and we attract significant interest and investment globally as a result of our high standing in the sector. Significant employment and economic benefit is derived from greyhound racing too. The Green Party might be more appropriately called the grey party as it seems to be hell-bent on draining rural life from every bit of colour and human vibrancy. It tried to kill off the hunt in this country and now it seems to want to kill greyhound racing. What is next on the list? Are we going to be banned from fishing in our lakes and rivers? Nobody supports cruelty to animals and I support any reasonable measures to ensure animal welfare. It is interesting to hear some Members today speaking about animal cruelty and welfare, referencing the 6,000 dogs killed each year, and yet they show no compassion or remorse for the 6,600 babies killed each year, helped by funding from the HSE.
June 14, 2025 at 8:25 AM