Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegates for their presentations. This is a welcome process as it is a healthy way of shaping the legislation. I hope we will see this process used more in the future. I concur with most of what has been said.

On the issue of age, I agree with the points made. If a person makes a mistake or decides later that he or she has made a mistake, is it possible to change this under the provisions of the Bill? Would this be a safety net for those under 18 years? Would such a provision assist in that regard? We should consider setting the age at 16 years. However, in respect of the other proposal in relation to parents and guardians, would providing for an opportunity to undo the gender change at a later stage not be a safety net to address that problem?

The divorce requirement is analogous to being in Dublin and going east to get to Galway. One will eventually arrive but what state will one be in when one gets there? It is the long way around. It is glaringly obvious that this will open up the Bill to constitutional challenge and will undermine it from the start. It seems extraordinary to force people to take that path. Certainly, that issue needs to be looked at.

Head 26 on sport flies in the face of the ethos of equality we are trying to achieve. We need to give greater consideration to this issue.

It is welcome that the Bill is under discussion. That is progress. What is required is delicate surgery rather than butchery. There is a way around all of these issues. I hope we can work together to get to that point.