Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)

As a mother of a trans son, I wish to say loud and clear that my heart bursts with pride, not only because he is my son but because in the face of social stigma, misinformation, fear for his safety and a world that often misunderstands or fears difference, he has remained true to himself. He is the bravest person I know and, like many in this country, he does not even realise it. He does not even realise how courageous he is because in Ireland today, being true to yourself takes courage. It should not have to, though. The hard truth is that in this State, being brave is not enough because the State is failing trans people. The HSE currently runs just one gender identity clinic in Dublin. As a result, more than 1,500 people are now waiting just to be seen. We are talking about some three to four years for a first appointment. Even the HSE has said that these delays are unacceptably long and have caused significant distress. Words are not enough. What our people need is action. Let us call it what it is, namely, a disgrace.

Some of our young people are being forced to DIY their own healthcare without medical support. That is not choice; that is desperation. This country and Government have turned their backs on them. That is not care, equality or a republic that cherishes all of its children equally. We need an Ireland of equals, one where our public services are shaped by compassion rather than crisis, where no person has to risk their life to get the care they deserve.

We need real investment, a fully funded, accessible and compassionate healthcare system which actually serves the people, not leaves them behind. We need fact-based, honest conversations in our media, schools and around the kitchen table, because that is how we make real change. There is still too much fear, silence and shame being pushed on the LGBTQI+ community. Too many of our children are made to feel that something is wrong with them, when there is not.

As one parent, Karen, so powerfully asked, when our kids leave the house, will they be attacked, and when they stay at home, are they becoming too isolated? These are real fears for real families in 2025, but we are not powerless. Since the 1970s, when the first LGBT+ group was formed in Trinity, to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the 1990s, to marriage equality, we have made progress, but let us be clear that we still have a long way to go. Ní neart go cur le chéile. We are stronger together and we must go further. We will not stop until we build an Ireland where LGBTQI+ people feel not just safe and not just tolerated, but respected, not just included, but truly loved and valued for who they are. That is the kind of place that I want for my son and for everyone else so that they feel that they belong. For the moment, Pride is their safe place.

See this speech in context