Why Not Supermarkets? Challenge Senator Horkan’s Discriminatory Statements

national | politics / elections | news report

Monday November 29, 2021 21:21

by Lawyers for Justice

We have been contacted by many people about Senator Horkan’s recent statements in the Seanad. We have drafted a submission you can lodge with the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad and the complaints department of the two Houses of the Oireachtas in the first instance.

It is fundamental that people collectively act against such discriminatory and divisive statements to hold public representatives to account.

Email us at lawyersforjustice@yahoo.com for further assistance.

Email: mark.daly@oireachtas.ie
customerservice@oireachtas.ie
Senator Mark Daly

Cathaoirleach
Seanad

Dear Cathaoirleach
Re: Senator Gerry Horkan

I wish to lodge a complaint under Section 10 of the Standards in Public Office Act, 2001 (the Act) in relation to Senator Horkan’s discriminatory and divisive statement on 24th November:

‘Why not supermarkets? Why not public transport? I know it is difficult to police some of these things but really, if you want to participate in society you need to be vaccinated’.

I confirm that I have also forwarded a copy of this submission to the complaints section of the Oireachtas. It is my submission that this statement contravenes the Code of Conduct for Members which was adopted pursuant to Article 15.10 of the Constitution and Section 10 of the Act.

Paragraph 1 of the Code states:

‘Members must, in good faith, strive to maintain the trust placed in them, and exercise the influence gained from their public office to advance the public interest’.

Advance the Public Interest

I am extremely concerned that Senator Horkan advocated for people who are unable or choose not to be vaccinated to be excluded from essential shops and public transport. His statement is misleading as it suggests that an unvaccinated person should be excluded from essential shops and transport because they pose a greater risk of transmission of Covid 19.

Senator Horkan is under a duty to ensure that he conducts himself in a manner that is in the public interest. One can only surmise from his statement that he unaware of Dr Cillian De Gascun recent reference to the longitudinal cohort study published in the Lancet on 29th October 2021 by Singanyagm et al that ‘fully vaccinated individuals have viral loads similar to unvaccinated and can effectively transmit infection in household settings, including to fully vaccinated contacts’.

Find the complete downloadable letter in our Telegram Files "‘WHY NOT SUPERMARKETS?’ CHALLENGE SENATOR HORKAN’S DISCRIMINATORY STATEMENTS" or read more here: https://www.facebook.com/LawyersForJusticeIreland/posts

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Why Not Supermarkets? Challenge Senator Horkan’s Discriminatory Statements