Every June, members and staff in the Houses of the Oireachtas support and celebrate Pride. We support everyone's right to equality and inclusion, and we acknowledge the long and arduous journey involved in achieving equality.
Bród 93/23
Last year we marked the 30th anniversary of the passing of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993, the law that decriminalised homosexuality. It was the first of many legislative milestones in the Oireachtas as the nation began to recognise the rights of the LGBT+ community.
An event hosted by the Cathaoirleach, Bród 93/23 commemorated this momentous occasion with a special exhibition and guest speakers who played critical roles in repealing the laws at the time and who witnessed a sea change in Irish societal attitudes.
The difficulty at that time was the country was kind of polarised about it ...
Listen
Voices and change
Listen to Máire Geoghegan-Quinn describe how she, as Minister for Justice at the time, sponsored the political act of decriminalising homosexuality.
Clips in RTÉ's archives further show how the decriminalisation of homosexuality was discussed publicly over many years. Despite societal change, it took many years for our laws to catch up.
1993
First steps towards decriminalisation
Watch Minister for Justice, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, as she introduces the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill to Seanad Éireann. This law would finally decriminalise homosexuality in Ireland.
Read
The road to LGBT rights in Ireland
Take an in-depth look at the evolution of the rights of the LGBT+ community over the years in this printable resource.
Pride
Pride flag & Oir LGBT+ group
The Pride Flag has flown over Leinster House every year since 2019. This coincided with the establishment of the Oireachtas LGBT+ Group which promotes LGBT+ inclusivity within the parliamentary community. Flying the Pride flag allows us to celebrate Pride and to demonstrate our unwavering support for the LGBT+ community inside and outside Leinster House.