Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

All Senators from the previous term will consider which Bills to resubmit. One of the Bills of which I am most proud is the amendment to the Gender Recognition Act, which tried to right the wrong of the exclusion of young people from the original Act. The House has a proud record of support and shows of empathy for our trans community, who bear the brunt of attacks on all of the LGBTIQ communities. Before I resubmit the legislation I want to ask the Leader, in line with the programme for Government commitment, when the Government intends to bring forward legislation to recognise the right of self-determination for 16 and 17 year old transgender people? Will it considering extending this right of self-determination, or even with parental consent, to those under the age of 16? Will the Leader explain why need further research is needed into those aged under 16, when the review group, established as it so happens by the Leader's former Department, included research from experts on child welfare and legal rights and Dr. Geoffrey Shannon, and consulted doctors, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and parental rights? Has the scoping exercise begun on non-binary identities? Will it be completed by December as previously stated by the Leader when she was Minister? It is not a phase. Trans men are men and trans women are women.