Averil Power (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 36:

In page 29, after line 28, to insert the following:

“Amendment of Education Act 1998

38. The Education Act 1998 is amended by the insertion of the following after section 37:“37A. (1)In this section ‘a person to whom this section applies’ means a person whose preferred gender is different from the gender assigned to the person at birth, whether or not the person is a person to whom a gender recognition certificate has been issued.

(2) Without prejudice to sections 22 and 23 and the provisions of the Equal Status Acts 2000 to 2011, the Principal and staff of a recognised school shall ensure, in so far as it is practicable to do so, that a person to whom this section applies who is attending a recognised school—

(a) shall be addressed in and entitled to use his or her preferred name and their preferred gender,

(b) shall be permitted on the premises of the school to wear the uniform or clothing appropriate to their preferred gender, and

(c) shall be entitled to use the facilities appropriate to his or her preferred gender.

(3) Without prejudice to sections 22 and 23 and the provisions of the Equal Status Acts 2000 to 2011, the Principal and staff of a recognised school shall take such steps as are reasonable to ensure that the safety and welfare of a person to whom this section applies is not compromised or diminished by the conduct of the school, its employees or by any person who is likely to use the facilities of the school or be in attendance on the school premises.”.”.