Order of Business - 30th April 2008

Order of Business 30th April 2008
Senator David Norris: I received a strong letter from Professor Patricia Casey demanding that I retract unscripted statements I made on the Order of Business some time ago. I am happy to take this opportunity to do so. I had suggested that in evidence in the High Court in the Zappone case she gave an inaccurate and misleading account of research. Professor Casey pointed out that the research was published after she gave that evidence and, in fact, she was becomingly modest in the case. According to the summary by Ms Justice Dunne, Professor Casey, "confirmed that she herself had not carried out or published any studies on same sex relationships", which makes one wonder why she subsequently engaged in controversy in The Irish Times through articles and letters in which she quoted this research.
I would like to be accurate for the record by noting that the author of one of the reports cited by Professor Casey in her articles and letters, Anna Sarkadi, wrote in a letter to The Irish Times that, "we feel it is important that conclusions based on our research results are correct and truthful to what the original design of the study allows...Prof Casey's conclusion...is not valid based on our findings." Professor Casey also referred to UNICEF, in which regard a letter was written to The Irish Times by Melanie Verwoerd, executive director of Unicef Ireland stating, "Prof Casey's reference to Unicef, with regard to the current debate on same-sex marriage and parenting, is incorrect and unacceptable." It also flew in the face of the report by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association, the Australian Psychological Association, the Canadian Psychological Association, the Royal College of Psychiatry, the National Association of Social Workers in the USA and the American Psychiatric Association. Therefore, Professor Casey's modesty in the High Court was well-earned and very honest.
I am happy to correct the information once again, although it has been already corrected by my colleague, Senator Mullen.
Senator Rónán Mullen: And I support Professor Casey's conclusions.
Senator David Norris: I am happy to confirm this matter. Since the original offence was not published, I am at a loss to find how she suffered any substantial damage to her reputation. I hope, however, this will restore her reputation in the eyes of the public and the courts.
I regularly listen to the radio and I have heard about politicians being chastised for writing letters in rape cases. Yesterday, a horrible performance took place on the airwaves in which a Roman Catholic priest was savagely and venomously impugned by a hysterical mob who set upon him because he practised on air the virtues of Christ in the Gospels. I find that outrageous.
Senator Eoghan Harris: Hear, hear.
Senator David Norris: A vengeful and nasty spirit is abroad and the question of sexual abuse by priests within the church was, most unfairly, added to the equation. That man is a Christ-like figure who deserves to be commended. He also felt strongly for the Polish girl who was the victim of the assault.
This is a nasty trend in the media that should be stopped. I recall writing for a newspaper some years ago that carried a front page headline stating, "Connell Visits Pervert Priests in Prison". I took an article in the newspaper the next day to ask where else should he be in the footsteps of Christ except visiting the sinners? There is a nastiness abroad and we should call a halt to it.