Ireland is fast becoming a ‘woke theocracy’ as legislators hammer out the details of new ‘anti-hate’ legislation, according to one independent senator.

On Thursday, Senator Sharon Keogan said that in Finland, a Member of Parliament was taken to court and faced up to two years in prison for anti-gay bigotry. “Her crime was tweeting a picture of the Bible. Finnish prosecutors stated that the use of the word ‘sin’ could be harmful and said that people are allowed in their minds to agree with the Bible, but cannot state that in public”.

Addressing the Seanad, Senator Keogan asked: “Is that how we want Ireland to be too? I am sure some people will say “Yes” to that question, those who would have our country be more like a woke theocracy which punishes citizens who dare to contradict the secular progressive dogma of the day, but my answer is a resounding ‘No.’”

She added: “The free speech we are entitled to serves to better this country and its people as ideas can be freely debated and forged in the crucible of public opinion. If an idea is hateful or repugnant, our sensibilities will allow it to die and arguments against it will show it to be false. Rather than mandating consensus, let us keep speech free and have ideas live or die by their merit”.