I wish to propose that funds from the national lottery be made available as a matter of urgency for the rebuilding of the Hirschfeld Centre in Dublin recently destroyed by fire. I hope to be uncharacteristically brief, because I have been asked by a number of Senators from all sides of the House if they may have some time. So, I wish to speak for eight minutes and yield two minutes to Senator Jack Fitzsimons, Fianna Fáil Senator Shane Ross, Independent, Senator Catherine Bulbulia, Fine Gael, Senator Brian O'Shea, the Labour Party, Senator John Robb, the Taoiseach's nominee, and Senator Joe O'Toole, Independent.
I would like to say, first of all, that I approach this important matter in a non-triumphalist fashion. The fact that there has recently been a European court judgment in my favour is a coincidence. I do not wish this to be seen in any sense as a particularly controversial or sensational request for lottery funding. I also think it appropriate that it should come to this House because although I have kept aside from the recent political controversy about the dispersal of lottery funds I believe that all parties agree that the Oireachtas has an advisory role in this matter.
The Hirschfeld Centre was founded in 1979. It was opened on St. Patrick's Day, the official opening being performed by Dr. Noel Browne, former Minister for Health. Dr. Browne has a celebrated memory in this country because of his campaign against TB. We are now fighting a comparable battle against a disease called AIDS and one of the important elements of the work of the Hirschfeld Centre was spearheading the fight against AIDS. Responsible people, including prominent politicians, have paid tribute to the vital role played by the Hirschfeld Centre in forming a focus from which the gay community could fight back against this infection. The centre is called after a very celebrated German doctor who formed an institute for the study of sexual science and was persecuted by Adolf Hitler. It was the first such centre in the world to be established but there are now two in Germany.
It was financed originally by money provided by myself. It was inevitably under-capitalised and the income required to keep the place going was generated by running discotheques. Upon this revenue we paid VAT and other taxes and I have before me details of the tax paid by the Hirschfeld Centre amounting currently to £107,300.89p. I make the point that we are not looking for anything extraordinary; we are heavy taxpayers, our operation has always been above-board.
The kind of services we provide are a telephone counselling service which operates in consultation with the Samaritans. The statistics on calls are revealing. From 1974 to 1979 there were 3,992; from 1979 to 1980 there were 1,556; from 1980 to 1981 there were 1,716; in 1981-82, 1,953; 1982-83, 1,426; 1983-84, 2,293; 1984-85, 3,088; 1985-86, 3,703; 1986-87, 4,427; 1987-88, 3,733 — the first year in which there was a decline as a result of a disastrous fire that occurred almost a year ago to this day. This has deprived the gay community of an extremely important asset, something that provides a positive environment in which people can come to terms with themselves.
We also provide a service known as parents' inquiry in which the parents of young people who are discovered to be gay can deal with the trauma they face as parents. Again, this has been welcomed by social workers, by religious leaders of all denominations and by a number of politicians.
The centre was open to gay and non-gay people and we had distinguished visitors from all sections of the community and from all religious persuasions. I think it important also to point out that last week the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Women's Rights passed unanimously a motion recommending that the Minister should spend lottery money in this way. I make the point that lottery money has been made available to community groups. We are a real such community in the country.
The Dublin Hirschfeld Centre operates as a national focus, not just for people in Dublin but for people throughout the entire country. When I place on record that an application of the Kinsey statistics, the survey conducted in America in the forties which has since been justified in every other country in which such survey was done, indicates that 10 per cent of the adult male population and between 4 per cent and 6 per cent of the adult female population are homosexual, I think the Minister will have to agree with me that we are talking about a very sizeable group of people. Nevertheless the result of the discrimination that has traditionally existed, not just in this country — and I do think the Irish are a fair-minded, decent and tolerant people — has led to a situation where I am one of the very few people who are publicly visible in this role.
I appeal to the Minister to consider this request in the most positive light. I do so not speaking merely as a representative of gay people, because I am not merely such: they represent 10 per cent of my electorate, only 10 per cent. I am sure the House will accept that I have spoken on a wide number of issues and have treated this House with seriousness and with dignity but I also feel I must speak out on behalf of my own people who have had, up to this, no other voice but mine. I ask not for positive discrimination but only for the kind of support that every other community in this country gets and, particularly, I place it in context when I point out that an application of the most modest understanding of Kinsey's statistics indicates that there are three times the number of gay people in this country as there are members of the various Protestant churches combined. It would be unacceptable to discriminate against, indeed not to foster, this minority. I believe it would be unacceptable not to receive into the full fold of the community this community, the gay community, who also have had some severe problems in the past.
I say this in full confidence that this is a mature Government who have taken some very wise decisions in this most sensitive area. I remind the House that the Minister for Finance, for example, has issued directives to the entire Civil Service that they shall not discriminate against people in the Civil Service who are found to be HIV positive, that they shall not discriminate against people who even have full-blown AIDS as long as they are medically fit to continue their work. The circular also states people shall not be discriminated against in their employment on the basis of sexual orientation.
It seems that the rebuilding of this very valuable community resource which has saved the country money by inhibiting the spread of disease and has saved people from despair, from suicide, from loneliness, and not just gay people but also their parents, should be supported by this method of funding. I have detailed figures. I made an application to the lottery on 17 October 1986. I have further detailed costings which I can supply to the Minister. The cost of rebuilding the centre, at the lowest possible cost, is £118,336.
I said I would be brief. I am very honoured that so many of my colleagues wish to speak this evening but there is not time for all of them. I have asked a representative selection to join with me in urging this motion on the Minister and I have allotted them two minutes each.