Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to be one of the many co-signatories of this Bill. It is an extremely important one and I really commend Senator Warfield on introducing it. When I was a young person in Galway I had an older friend, in his 20s, who had gone through electroconvulsive therapy because he was gay. He had depression and it was framed around this. It was not framed as a conversion therapy but it effectively was. It was to try to imbue in him deep-seated trauma and guilt over his sexual orientation. It had significant repercussions for him in the years that followed. We found a community of support for him at a later point. That was my first time encountering a practice of this kind. It was not always framed exactly as conversion therapy but it was effectively operating in that way.

Senator Catherine Ardagh mentioned very disruptive medical forms of intervention, such as electroconvulsive therapy and forced hormonal injections. These are not the only interventions. Equally insidious are those forms that disguise themselves as therapeutic, as counselling and sometimes as family therapy. We have seen an increasing amount of evidence and heard stories, in Hot Pressand elsewhere, about where such therapies are practised in Ireland. They might not always be framed solely as conversion therapy, and that is why this Bill will drill down to identify the many ways in which they might be framed. It is something that is happening.

The Minister stated we need to gather evidence to establish the prevalence of conversion therapy in Ireland. That would be very useful but we need to be absolutely clear that this does not need to be a precondition of our moving forward with legislation. We have in Europe the precautionary principle and we know there is a move in many places across Europe where we have seen an increase in the prevalence of conversion therapy. Therefore, it is very important that Ireland be ahead of the curve and put in place proper, preventive measures now rather than waiting to see whether a phenomenon arises and then responding to it. I caution that gathering evidence should not in any way delay the passage of this legislation. It should be speedy.

Another concern expressed by the Minister was on the definition of "professional". I recognise absolutely that there will need to be amendments. I am sure Senator Fintan Warfield will engage with the Government on the definition of "conversion therapy". I note, in regard to the definition of "professional" that there are those with qualifications but also those who present as professional. In this regard, we need to look to some of the areas of religious practice where a therapy may be presented by somebody who might not have a qualification at all.

I have a lovely quotation on which I will end because of the time constraint. We are celebrating the centenary of suffrage. I always love to quote Eva Gore-Booth, who, of course, had a partnership with Esther Roper. She has a wonderful gravestone in Hamstead that states: "Life that is love is God." It is about the fact that the proof of love is the acceptance and support we offer each other. There is a challenge in this regard and a role for love and inclusion among us, as legislators. It is important that we send a signal of love and inclusion in an active way. That is what this Bill is doing. I applaud it and encourage us to pass it through the House speedily. Perhaps the Government might allow time to ensure its speedy passage.