Oireachtas Education Committee chair accused of supporting 'porn literacy' in leaflet campaign

Oireachtas Education Committee chair Fiona O’Loughlin is the latest target of a campaign objecting to changes expected in the Relationships and Sex Education programme in schools.

The Hands Off Our Kids (HOOK) group features pictures of the Fianna Fail TD in leaflets distributed around her Newbridge, Co Kildare base, accusing her of supporting a “porn literacy”, among other charges.

Ms O’Loughlin told Independent.ie that she believed thousands of leaflets have been circulated in her home area.

A major review of RSE is underway, and earlier this year, the Oireachtas Education Committee produced a report supporting a modernisation of the programme to reflect societal changes.

In a reaction to leaflet drop targeting Ms O’Loughlin, the Education Committee said the claims being made were “a complete misrepresentation of the purpose of the report and its key recommendations.

“All members of the Committee stand over the recommendations made in its report and reject the claims made in these leaflets.

“The Committee recommends that people read the Relationships and Sexual Education report in order to get a clear understanding of the actual recommendations made”, it added.

Fine Gael TD Noel Rock, who is not a member of the Education Committee, has also featured on similar leaflets.

A leaflet circulated in the Dublin area features a photo of Deputy Rock and claims Fine Gael “wants sex education to start earlier, at primary school”.

“It’s always alarming when someone uses your name and face and I’m very curious as to who is behind the leaflets,” Mr Rock said.

“I always engage with people with different opinions but this is scaremongering and it’s scary to think that they are being put through letterboxes.”

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