Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I did not expect the Minister of State to accept it. He is correct in saying it could have profound implications in terms of other laws. One of the reasons this Bill took so long is that it challenged many of the rigid aspects of society. It challenged the pigeon holes we create as a society. In this amendment I am seeking, at the very least, a recognition that there are those in society who are intersex. In the case of the article which the Minister of State also read, the first step by the person in question, on medical advice, was to remove those organs because they might cause problems in later years. This individual was in his late thirties. He is not the only person in that position. It is a particular problem in some cases at a very young age. Sometimes the medical profession intervenes and sometimes it does not. Sometimes in later years, being intersex can force a person to make a decision rather than-----