A parliamentary question submitted by Aontú has confirmed that Belong To received €444,000 between 2020 and 2025 to deliver its Stand Up Awareness Campaign in schools. In addition, the organisation has received more than €1.3 million under the Youth Services Grant Scheme over the same period, along with further capital funding support.
In the Seanad today Senator O’Reilly raised her concerns regarding significant State funding allocated to Belong To by the Department of Education. She asked if this was appropriate given criticism the organisation has received and its unwavering support of gender ideology.
“Does the Government feel that it’s appropriate to fund organisations that have been criticised by young people for putting their agenda over the wellbeing and safety of children? Almost half a million euro has been provided to one organisation in just five years for a campaign that rejects biological truth. Parents and teachers deserve transparency and accountability about what is being delivered in our classrooms.”
The Stand Up campaign is linked to Bí Cineálta, the Government’s anti-bullying framework. Senator O’Reilly expressed concern that while respect and kindness in schools are essential, the Bí Cineálta program asks students to accept gender ideology and reject what is factually true.
“We can and must teach children to be respectful and kind. But we cannot ignore biological reality in the process. Educational materials must be grounded in fact, age-appropriate, and reflective of the rights of parents as primary educators.”
“At a time when families are protesting over SNA allocations and many children with additional needs are still without proper supports, the Government continues to pour funding into NGOs, awareness campaigns and agenda driven publications.”
She asked the Government to respond to the real needs of our children and stop allowing activists to push an agenda that has no basis in factual evidence.
“Psychiatrist and member of the Cass Review Clinical Expert group Dr Paul Moran has questioned the prominent role that has been given to activist organisations over clinical advice to policy development and teacher training. Other EU states have removed gender ideology from their school curriculum because they recognised the advice of experts and not activists”
“Please stop allowing these loud activists to push the agenda. Listen to what teachers and parents actually want. They don’t need a campaign to tell them to be kind, they need to know their child will have a place to go to school in September.”
