26/1/2026
There are renewed calls on the Department of Education to be absolutely crystal clear around the issue of ‘pronouns’ in schools following a controversial document produced by an NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation ) which purported to give legal advice to schools around the issue of trans and non-binary students.
That’s according to Aontú Senator Sarah O’ Reilly who says that last week’s directive by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) that schools ‘must’use students preferred pronouns was hugely misleading and was later contradicted by the Dept of Education which stated that no such obligation exists.
Senator O’ Reilly says
“THE ICCL worked with two other NGO’s TENI and Shoutout to produce this document and presented it as a fait accompli.
This is more than unacceptable, and it is high time we shouted stop.
Parents and teachers are completely left down by this ideological Tsunami.
“The grip that NGO’s have in Irish society at both political and civil level is becoming more authoritarian and dictatorial. They have been given free rein to issue their ideological diktats and are afforded a platform that ordinary citizens can only dream of .
We must remember that these NGOs have not been elected to office, they have absolutely no mandate whatsoever from the public, yet they are paid billions out of state coffers and it appears that many simply exist to influence Government policy.
It is more than ironic that Benefacts, the sole NGO set up to oversee the funding of its fellow NGO’s and ensure accountability was disbanded .
It is estimated that the Irish state shells out some €6 Billion to these non-elected quasi state agencies every year.
While other European counties are pulling back on the sums paid to NGO’s ,our Irish Government is ramping it up and allocating more hard earned tax payers money to this sector .
It has to end.
Some teachers are simply not comfortable using anything other than a student’s given name and biological pronouns, and they deserve clear direction, so they are not left to navigate this sensitive issue alone.
We are living in a very polarised time, and people who raise questions or concerns often feel shut down rather than heard. This is not healthy for democracy or for our schools.
Teachers already have so much on their plates, from managing class sizes to supporting student welfare and delivering the curriculum. They need space to focus on these core responsibilities, not to be left worrying about whether they are going to be caught on the ‘wrong side’ of a contentious debate.
More and more constituents are telling me they feel frustrated at being told how to think on sensitive cultural and social issues.
We are supposed to live in a pluralist democracy, where open discussion is encouraged and differing opinions are respected. If the Government truly values diversity, then it should also value diversity of thought, including the views of teachers and parents who hold a different perspective on these issues.
Teachers need to know where they stand, and students deserve consistency and respect. Open dialogue and collaboration, not division, are the only way forward on issues like this.
