Independent TD Carol Nolan has called on Ireland to “immediately ban male participants from female sports”.
The Offaly representative has said she is calling on all national governing bodies to ensure that biologically male participants will no longer be able to compete in female only sports or athletic activities.
Her comments come after US President DonaldTrump signed an Executive Order this week banning biological males from competing against women.
Deputy Nolan said she has been raising concerns around this issue for a number of years.
The Independent TD expressed her support of US President Donald Trump’s executive order saying that Ireland needs to follow suit.
“The tide is turning against the demands of well financed and radical gender ideologues who have dismissed and downplayed the concerns of women and girls when it comes to a level playing ground for sports and athletic competitions,” said Deputy Nolan.
“The influence these groups have exerted has been wholly disproportionate to the level of genuine demand that exists. They have effectively engaged in a hostile takeover of what were once female only spaces. That must end.” she said.
Nolan said that Ireland “must have the courage to point out the blatantly obvious; allowing full grown biological men to compete with young women or girls is nothing short of ludicrous.”
She continued,”It always was and it always will be despite the attempts of gender ideologues to refashion and outright reject biological reality.”
“If persons identifying as transgender or non-binary w to compete the solution is to provide a distinct category that will allow for such participation while leaving female only categories to do what they have always done; cat for girls and women.” the Independent TD said.
Since the passing of the Gender Recognition Act in 2015, any biological male can have full access to female spaces and is seen by the Irish state as being fully a woman if he should apply for a gender recognition certificate.
To obtain this certificate, the man is not required to have undergone any gender reassignment treatments.
Deputy Nolan says she has also raised similar issues in a different context in terms of the Gender Recognition (Amendment) (Prisons) Bill 2023.
“I was happy to co-sponsor and act as a signatory to this Bill which sought to make provision for single-sex accommodation in prisons. My view is that this principle should apply to all female-only spaces, from sports to women’s domestic violence refuges to prisons and hospital wards.” she said.
“Women and girls need, demand, and deserve their own spaces. I will never apologise for holding or defending this basic principle rooted in common sense,” concluded Deputy Nolan.
As Gript previously reported, calls have been made for the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) to cease allowing biological males to participate in its games.
Sports spokeswoman for the Countess Advocacy Group, Sorcha Nic Lochlainn, called on the LGFA Central Council to revise its Transgender Policy and protect women and girls in the sport.
The LGFA’s policy on the inclusion of trans-identifying males says, “The Association is committed to the inclusion of Trans-women into the LGFA. The Association intends that those Trans-women who have their LGFA Transgender Application Form (the ‘Application Form’) approved are supported in doing so in a safe and inclusive environment. The Association reiterates that it will not tolerate any harassment or discrimination within the LGFA.”
Ms Nic Lochlainn said, “The LGFA policy is a betrayal of women and girls in Gaelic football and needs to be overturned at the earliest possible opportunity.”
She went on to say,
“The policy allows males over the age of 12 to play against females and is totally unfair and unsafe. It seems to have been brought in to allow a specific player, Giulia Valentino, to play with Na Gaeil Aeracha. This team has no underage teams, doesn’t feed into development, etc., yet has been able to effectively undermine the sport by enabling a man who says he is a woman to enter the game. This is unacceptable.”
The Countess is campaigning against the policy, which was introduced in February 2023 and has been criticised by players, coaches, and referees. Ms Nic Lochlainn stated,
“The LGFA policy values the inclusion of men who say they are women over fairness and safety for female players. This leads to women and girls being excluded, either through losing places and opportunities or excluding themselves because of concern over competing against a male player. This is a particular issue when younger players are asked to play up an age group and their parents or coaches simply refuse to play when faced with a male on the opposing team.”
She also said, “This policy has come in at a time when more and more people are waking up to the reality that women’s sport is under threat from male incursion all over the world. The LGFA should do the right thing, admit they were wrong, follow the science, and limit participation to those born female only.”