Statement by The Countess
SAFEGUARDING
12 September 2025
A woman who identifies as a man has been awarded €5000 after a Workplace Relations Commission finding that she was discriminated against because of her transgender identity.
Any employer or volunteer organisation can get into difficulties like this. It is unreasonable to expect that people pretend they do not know the birth sex of a person, and it is unreasonable to expect to work with children without being open about one’s sex. This situation needs to be discussed openly. The organisation and the parents of the children should be aware of the sex of a person working with children. Parents may wish to opt out for safeguarding reasons, and should be able to do so.
The rights conferred on trans-identified people once again in Ireland seem to trump every other group, in direct conflict with Article 40.1 of Bunreacht na hÉireann which compels the state to treat all people and groups equally.
This sets a dangerous precedent. A male could use this case to gain access to positions where he would be supervising girls as the ‘female’ leader.
Sex matters, not just for dignity and safety, but also for honesty and reality in human interactions, and in particular with small children.