Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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429. To ask the Minister for Health if general practitioner education on transgender healthcare will be rolled out nationwide. [11784/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Irish College General Practitioners, ICGP, is the professional body for general practice in Ireland and is responsible for post graduate specialist medical education, training and research in the specialty of general practice.

The ICGP’s curriculum for general practice training involves teaching trainees to:

- Recognise that patients are diverse;

- Initiate systems to make the GP practice approachable to all women including for lesbian, bisexual and transgender patients;

- Describe the health needs of gay, transgender and bisexual men, beyond sexual health, and their partners;

- Acknowledge the role of the GP in gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender health care.

The ICGP also provides continuous medical education to General Practitioners in the form of journals, e-learning, quick reference guides, small group meetings and conferences. The ICGP is also currently updating the College’s quick reference guide on LGBT health issues in conjunction with LGBT Ireland. This will be published later in 2018. 

There are currently no plans to roll out a national programme of education on transgender healthcare.