Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. I wish to deal specifically with issues affecting the LGBTQI community, young people in particular. In June, during the Dublin Pride weekend, the Minister's Department announced that it would lead the development of Ireland's first national LGBT strategy for young people. A more suitable weekend could not have been found. The LGBT Ireland report identified the very real struggles young people faced in post-marriage equality Ireland. It outlined for us, as elected representatives, activists, politicians and Ministers, a very clear understanding of issues facing young LGBTQI people such as mental health, self-harm, suicide, coming out, school experiences, substance abuse and misuse, victimisation and harassment. Compared to the national youth mental health study commissioned by UCD and Headstrong, among LGBT young people there is twice the level of self-harm, three times the level of attempted suicide and four times the level of severe stress, anxiety and depression. I take the opportunity to welcome the undertaking of a national LGBT strategy and express my commitment to support its development. It is fair to say the Minister and I share the common goal of making it easier to grow up as someone who is LGBT.

Will the Minister provide an update on the strategy and the ongoing proposals following the budget announcements last week? Will she indicate a timeline for such developments? Will all LGBTQI organisations engaged with young people, including ShoutOut and BeLonGTo, be involved or consulted in its development? It is of the utmost importance that moneys be ring-fenced for implementation of the strategy, rather than just its development. Will that be the case? I ask because, as things stand, support services for persons who are LGBTQI are stretched to the limit in post-marriage equality Ireland. Following the passing of the referendum ensuring greater trans equality, young people are availing of BeLonGTo's services in increasing numbers. It is wonderful, heartwarming and heartening to know that young people are coming out in greater numbers, engaging in LGBT community services, seeking peer to peer support, sexual health support, mental health support and support for those misusing drugs and alcohol. The LGBT community, BeLonGTo and ShoutOut are engaging with young people, empowering them and building a sense of their being part of the LGBT community earlier than ever. In other words - the Minister will accept this - they are transforming lives and we know that that work is lifesaving. In the LGBT Ireland report the average age at which young people to discover their identity is 12 years and the average age at which they come out is 16. That space of four years cannot be spent in isolation or on the margins. Any LGBT strategy for young people must make dealing with that issue a priority.

Last week I was sent correspondence from a young trans person who attended BeLonG To's service. I do not read it to engage in political point-scoring but to stress the importance of, as we know well, the empowering ability of youth services. It reads:

Yesterday young people attending BeLonG To's Sunday group were notified of some changes that would take place in the service, caused by a dramatic increase in attendance since the marriage referendum and a distinct lack of funding despite this increase. As this service has been put under strain, they are reducing the groups to once every 2 weeks, as opposed to have meetings every week as they have done for years prior. They are also having to close their largest group (the Sunday group) to over 18s. They've had to remove their informal hang-out group, "Drop in", entirely. Even before this announcement, BeLonG To's own building is not substantial to accommodate their 2 biggest groups, and the building is not wheelchair accessible.

The e-mail continues:

As vulnerable LGBTQI teenagers and young adults we need our weekly groups. For some of us, these groups are the only times we can be ourselves. Many young people's lives are improved by youth workers and by their LGBTQI peers at these meetings. For transgender young people, it could be the only place you can dress how you like and be called the right name. BeLonGTo gave me the confidence to write you this e-mail. Let them keep giving young people the comfort and support they deserve.

I will pass on this correspondence to the Minister but I could not articulate in better terms the need for these youth services. I want to encourage those services to be a key part of an implementation strategy.

I received a response from the Minister for Social Protection via Deputy Louise O'Reilly regarding the Gender Recognition Act 2015 and the review that will commence next September should the legislation be abided by. We should depart from the review and open a legal pathway for young transgender people prior to it even commencing. In a sense, there is nothing to review in respect of young transgender people. Their existence was a glaring omission in the legislation. Will the Minister ensure that the voices of transgender citizens not heard in the review form part of the membership of any new group? A review undertaken by cisgender individuals is deeply problematic.