Senator quits committee: ‘I no longer feel protected’
SENATOR Sharon Keogan has resigned from the Oireachtas Children’s Committee saying she ‘no longer feels safe or protected as a member’.
It follows a run-in with the Children’s Committee’s chairwoman, Sinn Féin TD Kathleen Funchion, at the International Surrogacy Committee last week.
The Irish Daily Mail understands that there was further tension at a private meeting of the surrogacy committee yesterday as Senator Keogan asked for an apology. The subject of Mr Keogan’s resignation email, seen by the Mail, was ‘unsafe working environment/resignation’.
‘I wish to inform you that I wish to resign my position as a member of the [Children’s] Committee,’ Senator Keogan wrote.
‘I will continue to sit on the Joint Committee on International Surrogacy.
‘I no longer feel safe or protected as a member of the committee and have made this difficult decision as a result of that.’
Last Thursday, an argument erupted at the surrogacy committee during a discussion with members of the LGBT community. Senator Keogan said she did not agree with surrogacy and believed it could be ‘harmful, exploitative and unethical’.
Independent senator Lynn Ruane later accused Ms Keogan of ‘personal bigotry’ and told her to ‘check your Christian values’. Ms Keogan, an Independent senator on the Industrial and Commercial panel, made an objection to Ms Funchion, serving as acting chair, about the comments. However, the Sinn Féin TD told Ms Keogan she ‘knew herself she had been disrespectful at times over the last number of meetings’. Ms Funchion suspended the meeting twice as Senator Keogan told a representative for the Irish Gay Dads group that he was ‘extremely lucky to be here’ and attempted to repeat information that had been discussed previously in a private meeting. When Ms Keogan did not comply with requests to apologise, Ms Funchion asked her to leave. Multiple sources told the Mail there was further tension at a private meeting of the surrogacy committee yesterday as Senator Keogan asked for an apology and an explanation as to why she was not ‘protected’ by the chairperson. It is understood Ms Keogan questioned why Deputy Funchion did not intervene when Senator Ruane accused her of ‘bigotry’. However, it is understood that no apologies were forthcoming.
Several hours after the meeting, Ms Keogan emailed the Children’s Committee and said that she was resigning.
Members told the Mail they are under the impression that she has resigned due to her altercation with Ms Funchion.
Ms Keogan said she would offer her place on the Children’s Committee to another Independent senator. One member of the surrogacy committee told the Mail it was ‘disappointing’ that Ms Keogan had decided to resign as it is important to have a range of different voices. They pointed out that Ms Keogan asked questions that other members would not think of or consider asking.
The source added that while the senator’s comments were wrong, the matter should not have escalated in the way it did. They argued that personalised comments should have been curtailed and reprimanded by the chairperson.
The Mail contacted Ms Keogan and Ms Funchion for comment
‘Made difficult decision’
last night. Ms Funchion told the Mail she was ‘surprised’ at Ms Keogan’s decision to resign.
She said: ‘It is always disappointing when any member resigns from a committee and I thank her for her contribution.’
She added: ‘I wish her well and would like to clarify that any allegations or issues referenced in her letter were not brought to the attention of the Children’s Committee prior to receipt of her letter today.’