Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The provision of proper, appropriate and integrated gender healthcare services is something that the Minister, Deputy Donnelly is anxious to see put in place for persons who are questioning their gender identity or are experiencing gender incongruence or gender dysphoria. The Minister has previously acknowledged that they do not currently have access to that in Ireland and that he is determined to change that. In that context, I can confirm the HSE has recently appointed Dr. Karl Neff as clinical lead for the multidisciplinary team, MDT, which will lead the development of a new model of care under the auspices of the national clinical programmes. The Department of Health has provided €100,000 in funding for the establishment of this team. Now that this appointment has been made, the HSE is initiating a new clinical programme for gender healthcare over the next two years, an updated clinical model and implementation plan for gender healthcare services will be developed.

This work will be informed by the best evidence based clinical care for individuals who express gender incongruence or dysphoria. Now that the full Cass report has been published, it will be reviewed along with other emerging and evolving international evidence as part of this work. There is a clear and well established approach to the development of this model of care which, as well as reviewing the best available clinical evidence, will also incorporate input from healthcare professionals, patient advocates and those with lived experience. A key part of this development of this model of care will be consultation with stakeholders. It is particularly crucial that the people who are and will be availing of gender healthcare have their voices heard in this process. I can assure the Senator that the Minister is anxious to ensure that all stakeholders are fully consulted on the development of this model of care.The model of care will incorporate a multi-tiered approach, where care will be delivered at the most appropriate level of medical complexity. While the model of care is being developed, people will continue to receive healthcare in the community and under the endocrinology service in the adult and paediatric centres in Ireland East Hospital Group and Children’s Health Ireland.

With regard to current services, children and young people who require specialist psychological and psychiatric assessment and support are now referred to the children and young people gender national referral support service in the UK, who will triage these referrals to one of the newly developed services in London and Liverpool-Manchester. This service will work with CHI if endocrine review is required. The adult gender service based in St. Columcille’s Hospital in Loughlinstown provides services for people over the age of 16 years.

The Minister, Deputy Donnelly, is committed to the development of a well governed and patient-centred healthcare service for adults and children in the transgender community.