Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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299. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the LGBT youth strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7498/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The Programme for Government (2016) gives a commitment to develop a Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Youth Strategy. This is a key commitment for my Department in the Programme for Government and also makes a contribution towards the Government’s broader commitment to continue to strive for full inclusion of LGBT people in Ireland.

Better Outcomes Brighter Futures, The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014 – 2020 and The National Youth Strategy 2015 – 2020 provide a framework within which the National LGBT Youth Strategy will be developed with a focus on appropriate measures to ensure that young people identifying as LGBT are supported in achieving their full potential. The LGBT Youth Strategy will build on the National Youth Strategy (2015) which aims to enable all young people to realise their maximum potential by respecting their rights, hearing their voices and addressing their concerns.

The five national outcomes that we want for all our children and young people are that they:

- Are active and healthy, with positive physical and mental well-being.

- Are achieving their full potential in all areas of learning and development.

- Are safe and protected from harm.

- Have economic security and opportunity.

- Are connected, respected and contributing to their world

The National Youth Strategy identifies Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender young people as a specific group to be considered in the context of focused provision for marginalised young people; the National LGBT Youth Strategy will identify the additional measures that are required to ensure that young people identifying as LGBT can achieve the same outcomes as all children and young people.

In December 2016 I announced the establishment of an Oversight Committee with an Independent Chair. The LGBT Youth Strategy Oversight Committee met for the first time earlier this month in my Department. The Committee is comprised of officials from relevant departments and agencies along with stakeholders from the LGBT community and headed by an Independent Chair. This includes representatives from various government departments, Tusla, Sport Ireland, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, BeLonG To, the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network and the Transgender Equality Network Ireland.

It is important to me that the voices and the experiences of young people are front and centre in forming the strategy – and a consultation will be a key part of the work. The strategy will be informed by youth and stakeholder consultation, situation analysis to include review of current policy, strategy and service provision and relevant existing data.

The consultations will target young people, both those identifying as LGBT and those not in order to ensure the voice of young people is respected and contributes to this strategy. The consultations will also seek to include those working with young people on a regular basis and the general population at large.

It is my intention to ensure that the consultation process and completion of the strategy are progressed in a timely fashion throughout 2017.