Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Cork’s first-ever trans pride march will take place through the city this Saturday. The march will assemble at 2 p.m. at the Cork City Library. It is a defiant choice of venue, given it has been the scene of anti-LGBTQ+ protests, including the ripping-up of books by far-right activists this year. This march is a protest. It is first and foremost a protest against the increase in hate crime against our trans community. One of the organisers of Saturday’s protest, Saoirse Mackin, told me today she knows more people who have suffered violence over the last month than she knows who have suffered violence over the previous years.

It is also a protest against the inaction of the Taoiseach’s Government, which has allowed waiting lists for gender-affirming healthcare in this State to build up to six to ten years. Ireland is now ranked worst in Europe for provision of such healthcare. What steps does the Taoiseach intend to take to improve this situation?

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