Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this opportunity to update the House on LGBTI+ issues, particularly during Pride week. At the start of 2022, Ireland entered its second century as an independent State. We have become a proud, progressive and modern nation that supports and cherishes all people equally. We have made great strides in recent decades to promote equality and respond to the changing needs of a diverse population.

We have a proud record as a champion of human rights internationally. We have been at the forefront of change in advancing equality for LGBTI+ people. In 2015, we became the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote. In the same year, we introduced progressive gender recognition legislation. In 2018, we became the first country in the world to launch a national LGBTI+ youth strategy. The annual Pride parade, which will be held in person again this Saturday, has grown to become one of the biggest festivals celebrated in Ireland. Yet, despite these advances, challenges remain. LGBTI+ people continue to face significant barriers to full participation in public life. They do not always feel safe in public spaces. They continue to experience unacceptable levels of harassment, violence and discrimination. LGBTI+ people also face particular health issues. The Government and society in general have more work to do.

That is why the Government launched Ireland's first national LGBTI+ inclusion strategy in 2019. This all-of-government strategy pursues objectives under four thematic pillars and provides a vision of an Ireland where LGBTI+ people are visible and included, treated equally, healthy and feel safe and supported. With a view to making progress towards these high-level objectives, 108 actions, aimed at improving the lives of LGBTI+ people within the lifetime of the strategy, were agreed. The overall aim of the strategy is to target discrimination, promote inclusion and improve quality of life and well-being for all LGBTI+ people. The Government is committed to these overarching goals and is advancing a suite of initiatives within the strategic framework to improve the lives of LGBTI+ people in Ireland.

The inclusion strategy dovetails with the LGBTI+ national youth strategy, which was launched in 2018 and recently concluded. The youth strategy aims to ensure that all LGBTI+ young people are visible, valued and included. The consultations with young people and their direct involvement in the development of the youth strategy as well as its implementation demonstrate the value Ireland places on having the voice of the child in the development of policy. Reports and research continue to show that coming out as LGBTI+, and growing up as LGBTI+, are still challenging for young people. The youth strategy and policies aim to address these difficulties through the creation of safe, supportive and inclusive environments for LGBTI+ young people and through improving their mental, physical and sexual health and well-being by developing the research and data so we are able to understand their needs and respond appropriately to them.

The key achievements of my Department in the lifetime of the youth strategy include the establishment of the LGBTI+ youth forum to support the implementation of the strategy. I had the privilege of working with 25 young LGBTI+ people from diverse backgrounds who all actively engaged with the implementation of the strategy throughout its lifetime. With the support of the forum, my Department established the LGBTI+ youth leadership programme. This enables young LGBTI+ people to develop their leadership skills. The programme was delivered by Foróige and undertaken in consultation with BeLonG To. It was a great success. A similar programme bringing in new young LGBTI+ leaders will be offered later this year.

In October 2020, I launched the national Live Out Loud: Celebrating LGBTI+ Youth campaign and event. It culminated in a live-streamed national event from Wexford Opera House as part of Pride celebrations in June 2021. This campaign and the overall event celebrated LGBTI+ young people, again showing that they are visible, valued and included across culture, society and sport. A review of the implementation of the youth strategy is under way and will be published later this year.

The House will be aware that one of my key priorities is the prohibition of the practice of so-called conversion therapy. This objective is contained in the programme for Government. My Department recently commissioned research aimed at capturing the views and experiences of people who have undergone this so-called therapy. This multi-phased mixed-methodology research is being conducted by an expert team at Trinity College and is expected to be completed in August. The findings will assist in the development of legislation that will prohibit the practice of conversion therapy. The legislation will also be informed by international comparative analysis. Conversion therapy is something that does not happen hugely in this country but it does happen. I have met young people who have experienced it. When it happens, its impact can be devastating. That is why we are taking the time to undertake this research to understand exactly where and how it is happening so that we can ensure the legislation being brought forward is effective and we can prohibit this practice.

As a Government, we recognise that people arriving in Ireland who wish to claim international protection are diverse in background and often have different needs. The White Paper on ending direct provision committed to establishing supported pathways for people who, because of their gender or identity, may have specific vulnerabilities. For an LGBTI+ person, that journey can be more difficult. My Department recognises that and we are developing a specific LGBTI+ operating model to help interact with and best support people from the LGBTI+ community who are seeking asylum in Ireland. I am pleased to state that work will begin shortly, in conjunction with an NGO partner, on a consultation and research phase that will gather the experiences of those who have already passed through this process and make sure we can design our international protection process in a way that fully respects and protects LGBTI+ people in that process.

As well as the research into conversion therapy, my Department is in the process of commissioning a study of older LGBTI+ people in Ireland. The study will draw from data held by the Irish longitudinal study on ageing, TILDA. The contract with a third level institution is now being finalised and it is expected the research will be completed by the end of 2022. This study of the older LGBTI+ population in Ireland will identify the needs of older LGBTI+ people and the specific challenges they experience.

The research will also inform the ongoing implementation of strategic actions to support older members of the LGBTI+ community in Ireland. In the context of the change we have seen in this country, we are all aware of significant numbers of older LGBTI+ people who were not in a position, or did not feel they were in a position, to come out in their early years, who now, because of the changed circumstances, feel they can do so. We must recognise their situation and policy and law must be in place to support them in their process.

The Government is committed to ensuring that members of minority and vulnerable groups feel safe and supported in Ireland as they go about their daily lives. My colleague, the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, will soon publish the criminal justice (hate crime) Bill 2021, which will introduce new, specific aggravated offences with enhanced penalties for crimes motivated by prejudice against certain characteristics, including gender and sexual orientation. The Minister and I met with a range of national LGBTI+ groups yesterday to brief them on the progress of that legislation and other legislation and policy being pursued across both our Departments.

Recent tragic events, including the brutal killings in Sligo, the range of attacks on members of the LGBTI+ community on the streets of Dublin and in other parts of he country and the increasingly vitriolic online attacks on members of the community, particularly trans members, have shaken the community in Ireland. We are all aware of that. It was good to have an opportunity for the Minister for Justice to outline the extensive measures An Garda Síochána is taking, both at the national level and at a very localised level, to ensure all members of the community feel safe and that we have the very best mechanisms in place for engagement between An Garda Síochána, LGBTI+ groups and individual members of the community.

The Garda initiatives include LGBTI+ network dialogue days, a joint promotional video on online hate crime reporting, the involvement of LGBTI+ representatives in Garda diversity officer training and the ongoing human rights training Garda personnel are receiving. In addition, all trainees at the Garda Síochána College must now complete revised hate crime and diversity and cultural awareness training. This additional training around hate crime is welcome, as is education in respect of hate-related non-crimes. There are situations people experience every day that probably do not fall within the criminal sphere but that are nevertheless clearly motivated by hate. The passing of the hate crime legislation, on which significant work has been undertaken at pre-legislative scrutiny stage, which we are working to respond to, will mark an important moment not only for the LGBTI+ community but also for many other minority communities in the country, including members of the Traveller community, black and mixed-race communities and persons who are disabled. Many people in those communities have experienced hate and will now, finally, be able to see a clear mechanism whereby An Garda Síochána can prosecute what was done to them, recognising it not just as a general assault but as an assault based on hate, and punish it as such through the courts system.

In reviewing our policies and legislation, it is important we do not inadvertently create discriminatory circumstances. There has recently been some public debate regarding a small number of proposed changes to the Maternity Protection Acts that will be brought forward as part of the work life balance and miscellaneous provisions Bill 2022 to ensure no family and no child are disadvantaged because of the parents' gender. It is Government policy to ensure all pregnant employees in the State are entitled to maternity leave. These amendments are intended to ensure this is reflected in the Maternity Protection Acts. I hope to introduce the Bill before the end of this term or early in the next term and there will be opportunities to debate all elements of it. I know colleagues will be mindful that any debate should be sensitive to the fact these amendments affect real people and real families. I have no doubt that Deputies and Senators will conduct themselves with those people in mind.

Government collaboration with civil society and community organisations is a vital strand of our approach to service provision for LGBTI+ communities. We are committed to providing support and funding to a wide and diverse range of LGBTI+ non-government groups in their delivery of targeted programmes and services throughout the country. Last year, my Department allocated more than €1.5 million to support LGBTI+ projects through grant funding. This funding is critical in achieving the Government's overall strategic objectives and providing regional services and supports for the LGBTI+ community.

It is important that allocated funds are deployed strategically and projects that are funded by the Government support the objectives of the LGBTI+ inclusion strategy. One such project is the specialised legal advice clinic launched in May 2022 by the Free Legal Advice Centres. I had the privilege of being part of the launch of this fantastic initiative. The clinic will meet the specific needs of the gay and trans community. It will provide advice on a wide range of legal issues where gender and sexuality are core factors, including discrimination matters, equality, family law, gender identity, immigration, hate crimes and access to healthcare. The clinic's objectives align with the actions in the strategy that mandate the provision of tailored legal advice and advocacy to LGBTI+ people.

This is one example of the dozens of strategic initiatives by LGBTI+ organisations that have received funding under the annual community services fund, which was first launched in 2020. The fund is an essential limb of the inclusion strategy, unlocking the delivery of many of its aims and objectives. The day before yesterday, I was delighted to announce details of the 2022 funding call. A key change this year is that we are providing an element of core funding within the call. This marks a change in the structure of the funding, which originally was all project-based. We recognise that the LGBTI+ community sector, like much of the community sector in this country, is facing additional financial pressures. Being able to plan ahead by way of the provision of core funding for basic things like rent and key staff is often as beneficial as project-based funding. This change was asked for by groups in the sector and we are pleased to be able to deliver it this year. It will allow community groups, including local groups, to continue to benefit from the range of available supports.

I welcome the opportunity to engage in this discussion and to hear from Deputies on both the Opposition and Government sides. I wish Members a very happy Pride Month.

I am pleased to have this opportunity to express my solidarity with LGBTI+ communities throughout the country. Although this discussion offers us the opportunity to reflect on, and celebrate with pride, the successes of the LGBTI+ community, we also must recognise the struggles many in the community continue to fạce. This is particularly so for members of the trans community, who too often hear their very existence being debated in public discourse. As a society, Ireland has made huge progress and strides over the past decade. I always recall that when I was in school, there was absolutely no concept or chance of my coming out. Now, when I visit schools in Dublin 15 or elsewhere around the country, I see the Pride flag flying. It is such a change in one person's lifetime. Many people of my generation feel and see that change. It is always important to note the huge progress we have made.

We also must be conscious that there can be regression. We see regression in Europe right now. I have made the point before, including in this Chamber, that a situation in which people see their human rights going backwards in their own lifetime must be truly terrifying. It probably has only been experienced by small numbers of people over time, but in parts of Europe and elsewhere in the world at this time, the rights of the LGBTI+ community are going backwards. That is why it is so important that we in Ireland celebrate our progress while also being conscious that we still have significantly more to do.

All of us in this House must take it upon ourselves to make the extra effort to be informed and to listen to the perspectives and experiences of those who still struggle, and I specify members of the trans community in this regard. If we are to create a society where everyone feels safe, included and supported to live life as their true selves, we must first educate ourselves and play our role in supporting others to understand the complexities of gender identity. The Government is committed to working with LGBTI+ communities to ensure that LGBTI+ people can feel visible, equal and safe in a fairer and more inclusive Ireland.

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