Jim Walsh (Irish politician)

In April 2008, Walsh claimed "that Chairmen of some of the tribunals used their position in order to act more or less as shop stewards for the wealthy legal profession".[8] He later withdrew the comment, acknowledging that he may have caused offence.

On 24 April 2008, Walsh put forward a party motion to counter the proposed same-sex Civil Partnership Bill.[9] The Irish Times reported that around 30 unidentified Fianna Fáil backbenchers had signed the motion. One anonymous Senator was quoted as claiming that the motion "would have considerable support from the more conservative sections of the parliamentary party". The Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, responded by insisting that the registration of same-sex couples would not interfere with the constitutional status of marriage. Cowen noted that the Bill had been drawn up in close consultation with the Attorney General and had been included in the programme for government.[10]

The motion was referred to the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party's justice committee on 1 July 2008. Despite the challenge to the Bill, a Fianna Fáil spokesperson was quoted as saying that there was "broad support" within the party for the legislation, while the Taoiseach and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern reaffirmed the constitutional compatibility of the proposed law.[11]

Walsh has repeatedly called for a freedom of conscience amendment to the legislation which would by-pass equality legislation, allowing people a religious exemption in providing goods and services to gay couples.[12]

In the 2014 "Pantigate" controversy in which the national broadcaster RTÉ paid a purported €85,000 to conservative commentators, Walsh argued that some proponents of same-sex marriage were "dangerous and vicious".[13]

On 31 March 2015, he said in the Seanad that he could not support same-sex marriage and that the money spent on the marriage equality referendum would be better spent on testing the gay community for HIV.[14]

In November 2009, Walsh claimed that women working outside the home is a major cause of depression in young people, and also expressed annoyance that "David Norris could describe gay people as 'fairies' – while he could not".[15][16][17]

On 7 July 2010, he resigned the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party whip, along with Labhrás Ó Murchú and John Hanafin, in protest at the Civil Partnership bill.[18] He rejoined the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party on 23 November 2010.[19]

On 16 July 2013, Walsh opposed the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill, and during the Seanad debate quoted an anti-abortion pamphlet's description of dilation and evacuation,[20] which the bill's supporters criticised as inappropriate.[21][22]

In December 2015, in an abortion-related debate, Walsh told Senator Ivana Bacik that she should seek "treatment for hemorrhoids".[23]

In January 2016, he was re-admitted to the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party.[24] He did not contest the 2016 Seanad election.[25]

In September 2015, Walsh admitted editing his own Wikipedia entry, claiming it had been edited by "a person from the gay lobby groups".[26] He said that he had removed "certain erroneous comments" but did not say which edits he made or what was erroneous.[26] T.J. McIntyre, a law lecturer at University College Dublin drew attention to edits made from an IP address belonging to the Oireachtas.[26] Edits made from that address included removal of controversial comments made by the former senator about gay people and the Marriage Equality referendum.[26]