Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left) | Oireachtas source

We, including the Minister of State, have an opportunity to review the three key areas that have been particularly raised by the transgender community. The fact a 16 to 18 year old has to get two medical consultants, convince his or her parents and go before a judge before getting a certificate is too onerous, and we should seriously look at accepting the self-certification of 16 to 18 year olds. The fact those under 16 are not even recognised means they are going to be a hidden group of young children who have no opportunity to be recognised, even where their parents recognise they are transgender and would like to get a certificate for them, or even a half-way passport or something of that nature.

If they are not recognised, they do not get services. What if a transgender child is in State care? How does a person looking after that child deal with the issues the child has in regard to their gender? If the services are not being matched with recognition, they are not going to be really adjusted. It is the same with regard to disability.

When a disability was legally recognised, the Government then had to link in services for the group of people who needed them.

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