Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Yes, I am seeking a debate. I do not even know if we wish to have a debate on the issue, because I do not know why we are debating on it. I implore us to consider how we are discussing trans rights. Maybe we need to have statements on the fact our trans and LGBT community has been living the fullness of their lives, since gender recognition was introduced here in Ireland and even before gender recognition was introduced, and that we have a trans community living side by side with us. The terrifying prospect of this future these people seem to worry about simply has not happened here in Ireland. I do not know if we wish to have a debate or statements on it, but we have to resist, as hard as we can, the importation of this. We have to remember the concept that self-determination is based in human rights practice. Medicalising and pathologising trans people, when they know what is best for their lives and self-determination, is not helpful.

I will speak briefly about Traveller community suicide awareness. I always say it is not just Senator Flynn who speaks about the Traveller community. We have seen groups call out racism towards other minority groups in the past while, but I have seen members of the Traveller community say they do not feel that same level of call-out has been happening for them. We know Traveller men are seven times more likely and Traveller women six times more likely to die by suicide than people in the settled community. Culture and ethnicity should be celebrated rather than be a factor that destroys our mental health or even lead to our death. I know the hate crime legislation is in process, which cannot be overlooked. However, I take Senator Flynn's calls for how we include Traveller representation in all of the legislation we are looking at and especially to have a conversation around Traveller mental health and what it is we, as legislators, can do to ensure that is embedded into all of our mental health strategies.