Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I reiterate my support for the programme for Government commitment to ban so-called conversion therapies. The commitment followed legislation in the Seanad that I proposed in 2018. The Bill remains on the Order Paper today. Yesterday, at the Museum of Literature Ireland on St. Stephen's Green, LGBT Ireland launched a campaign to ban conversion practices. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, who was there, reiterated his commitment that conversion practices would be banned within this mandate. The Minister has said Government research will be published by the end of the summer.

All of this is taking place while the British Government is taking a very different approach in excluding our trans bothers and sisters from the ban. I know Ireland will do better. No lesbian, gay or bisexual person needs to be cured. Certainly, no trans person needs to be cured either. Indeed, members of the trans community in Britain are twice as likely to be offered conversion therapy to change or repress their gender identity. What we are saying is there should be no predetermined outcomes in therapy. No person needs to be cured. The open expression of identity issues or sexual orientation should happen with no predetermined outcomes.

I very much hope this time next year we will be looking at passing legislation, whether it is Government legislation or my own Bill, that will ban these practices. I have a few amendments I wish to make to my own Bill in time, including an amendment I have drafted that will allow for a civil remedy for any person who has suffered harm or loss as a result of conversion practices. At some point, I would also like to amend the Title of my Bill, to change the word "therapies" to "practices".