Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is important to note there has been a very divisive debate in the UK about this issue over the past number of months and years.

It is a debate that has not helped anybody. What we need is a very respectful, dignified conversation supporting what is a small but significant number of people who are transgender. There does not need to be a conflict between transgender rights and gender identity rights and other sex-based rights. There is space for everybody. One set of rights does not need to displace another set of rights. We have not had that sort of conversation here. I hope it is not a feature that enters into Irish discourse where that sort of conflict is created between different groups of people or rights. There is no need for it. We had a very respectful conversation about individuals and families throughout the marriage equality referendum. Similarly, there is a sensible, common-sense, decent approach that can be taken to the legitimate questions that people have and that are raised as we look to support transgender people but also acknowledge that there is space in the equality house for everybody.

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