Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

Did the issue of trans rights in education and healthcare come up in discussions with church leaders? The Catholic Primary School Management Association recently wrote to the Government, arguing that students should not be taught what it means to be transgender. It stated that it would be "counterproductive, generating unnecessary divisions" and, "more seriously, it might add to a growing psychological contagion amongst young and vulnerable children". It is bizarre language that seems to suggest that being trans is some sort of contagious disease. Did any of that came up in discussion with church leaders?

It relates to the question of trans healthcare, where Ireland is at the very bottom of the pile. A 2022 report by Transgender Europe rated Ireland's trans healthcare as worst in European Union. A big part of that is the failure to discuss with trans people and to bring their experience into the centre of the kind of informed consent model we need to develop. An example of that is the fact the new clinical lead for transgender services in Ireland, appointed by the HSE, appears to have been appointed without any consultation with any trans rights groups or the trans community about the role and the person who is going to fill the role - none of it. Does the Taoiseach agree that this is not the way to go about building an appropriate model for trans healthcare in this country?

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