Lynn Ruane’s snarling ignorance to William Binchy 

In scenes which led to sharp criticism on social media, a recent Joint Oireachtas Committee hearing saw a former Dean of the Law School at Trinity College Dublin harangued and shouted down by Independent Senator Lynn Ruane.

The video of the interaction from late October, in which Ruane tells Professor William Binchy he is a “white, privileged man,” while he endeavours to get a word in in reply, has gone viral for all the wrong reasons, and can be viewed below:

This is genuinely shocking. Prof Binchy is one of the most respected Irish legal thinkers of the last century. I’ve seen parliamentary committees where witness have been disrespected before but never like this. It brings the entire Oireachtas into disrepute. What a shameful… https://t.co/W2pq4pE5ho

— Michael Foran (@michaelpforan) November 9, 2023

The video was posted by lecturer Michael Foran of the University of Glasgow School of Law, who said: “This is genuinely shocking. Prof Binchy is one of the most respected Irish legal thinkers of the last century.”

“I’ve seen parliamentary committees where witnesses have been disrespected before but never like this. It brings the entire Oireachtas into disrepute. What a shameful display,” he wrote.

In the exchange, Ruane goes to great pains to repeatedly interrupt the veteran Irish barrister, who was attending the Committee in the capacity as guest speaker.

The lawyer and professor had made what were some very valid points, warning that those who are old and physically frail “may be concerned they are becoming a burden on their families” and in turn, be more vulnerable to ending their lives if assisted suicide becomes law.

Prof Binchy, who was Commissioner with the Irish Human Rights Commission up until 2011, also said it was his “firm view” that introducing physician assisted suicide in Ireland would breach the respect for the value of human life in a “deep way” and would have consequences for all groups of people.

However, following his address, during what was, ironically enough, billed as a ‘discussion’ on assisted dying and the ethics of autonomy between guests and senators, Senator Ruane’s anger and hostility towards Binchy was palpable, and was described by viewers on Twitter as “rudeness, aggression and disrespect” – while her behaviour was seen as “loutish”.

The constant interjection became so bad that An Cathaoirleach, in an attempt to restore some sort of order, had to remind Senator Ruane that [Mr Binchy] “is our guest here today. He is a witness,” as he repeatedly asked the Senator to stop interrupting the Professor and to allow him to speak.

Ruane’s challenge of Binchy boiled down to little more than what appeared to be a mockery of Binchy’s views, with the Senator singling him out for his pro-life beliefs, (quizzing him about his involvement with the Pro Life Campaign) to accusing him of making the issue about “sin” – which was a word he never mentioned. 

“If it is not a sin, what is it?” the Senator repeatedly asked Binchy without allowing him to answer, when he stated personal autonomy has limits, and that ending life raised moral questions.

“I speak in terms of human rights. I am not ever communicating in religious language at all,” Prof Binchy clarified.

When he went on to make the reasonable statement that “one has to be concerned for others” in the context of introducing assisted suicide, it was clear that Ruane had absolutely no interest in engaging in a conversation with Binchy because she had already made up her mind. 

One of Ruane’s objections was that Binchy spoke in “long sentences”, which seemed to have caused her some difficulty. I’m not sure how he was expected to assist the Senator in this regard since what he was saying was perfectly intelligible in my view. 

“What’s the concern from you if I decide to die at the end of my life?” she demanded to know near the end of her shambolic tirade. “How does it impact your life? You as a white, privileged man, how does my death impact your life?”

In that one sentence is summed up how being a ‘white man’ has become the worst possible offence of modern times, and perhaps the most demeaning of all insults. 

White men are now the one group of people you are openly allowed to hate. Men like Binchy, those who are white and ‘privileged’ and especially those who do not conform to the religion of woke, are easy targets.  

Make no mistake about it; this was a shameful attempt to humiliate and disrespect a man who had been invited into the chamber to share his considerable expertise, and who was unfailingly polite – not simply because he held an opposing view, but simply because of who he is. 

The Senator acted like a spoilt, brattish child throwing her toys out of the pram. Her snarling ignorance towards Binchy left viewers in no doubt as to which of the two were capable of a reasoned argument. 

The treatment of Prof Binchy is also a worrying indictment of Irish Parliamentary Procedure. 

The Committee has promised to examine safeguards, and to look in detail at the ethical, constitutional and legal issues relating to legalising assisted suicide, as well as identifying the “possible unintended consequences.”

Yet, when a highly regarded barrister and legal professor gives his time to address the committee, after being asked to do so, to give his legal opinion on those very points, he is met with a stunning level of aggression. 

It should appall us all that an Irish Senator is able to talk to an invited expert witness in such a way, with no repercussions whatsoever. 

The irony of speaking about ‘privilege’ while showing her own sense of entitlement – that no one should be permitted to hold an opposing view, or for that matter, a pro-life view, without being castigated for it – should also not go amiss. 

There is such an entitled sense of incredulity from Irish progressives, which blinds them from having the capacity to listen to any other point of view than their own.

While those with conservative beliefs on just about anything – those who do not agree that change automatically means progress (it doesn’t) – are lectured and scolded, people like Ruane are given a hall pass to treat others awfully just because they have the right opinions in official Ireland. This behaviour, as we have seen in the Senate before, is increasingly becoming the norm. 

There are serious questions to be asked, judging from the treatment of Prof Binchy, about whether the Committee on Assisted Dying is willing to listen to opposing views at all. 

Senator Ronan Mullen has been among those to warn about a predetermined outcome – perhaps indicated by the wording used (the choice ‘Assisted Dying’ rather than ‘Assisted Suicide’) to stir the Committee away from sounding judgemental, but which is ultimately more euphemistic than honest. 

Very serious social change is being proposed, yet we are seeing the Committee become little more than a platform for what borders on bullying when it comes to listening to people like Prof Binchy, and that should concern us all, regardless of where you stand on assisted suicide.

In fact, in response to the video posted by Michael Foran, another academic , Mary Ford Neal, said that Ruane’s “really alarming behaviour” would make her, as an invited witness scheduled to appear before the Committee, think further about whether she should appear.

“As an invited witness due to appear later this month, I now have serious misgivings about the integrity of the process & will be writing to express those concerns,” she tweeted.

Good for her. Why should Lynn Ruane and her ilk be allowed to engage in bad-tempered ranting against professionals who have been asked to come and share their opinions.

Though as one wag observed after seeing her demand of William Binchy “how does my death impact your life?” – well, at least he would get to finish his answer without being constantly interrupted.