The prevalence of single-sex schools in Ireland needs to be analysed to address issues of gender inequality such as toxic masculinity.
According to Labour’s Education Spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, the challenges in tackling the problem are exacerbated by children being separated on the basis of gender in schools.
Speaking in the Dáil on Tuesday, the TD Dublin Bay North said there is a disproportionate amount of schools in Ireland separated on the basis of gender.
He added that "nobody can convince me that that isn't part of the problem" of gender inequality.
He said the issues of domestic violence and image-based sexual assault cannot be effectively discussed when boys and girls are being taught in separate buildings.
Deputy Ó Ríordáin stated: "There can be a toxic masculinity that builds up in a single-gender male school."
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, he explained that it is difficult to tackle issues of gender inequality in a segregated school system.
He said: "Whenever we discuss issues of gender inequality, I think it is reasonable for us to analyse where this comes from and how we can tackle it better.
"Within the discussion of domestic violence, I made the point that this is a very gendered issue, that the majority of people who are affected by domestic violence are women.
"The problem here is men, the problem in most cases is men, and toxic masculinity is part of the mix.
"When you're trying to tackle gender inequality, it's more difficult to tackle gender inequality when you have a school system as segregated on gender lines as Ireland."
