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Health Services Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 April 2021

Thursday, 29 April 2021

Questions (101)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

101. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health his plans to move from a psychiatric model of transgender healthcare to a model more in line with international best practice as outlined by the World Health Organisation. [22511/21]

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Written answers

Government policy in relation to LGBTI+ citizens is set out in the National LGBTI+ Inclusion and the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategies, which fall under the responsibility of the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth.   The National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy aims to improve the lives of the LGBTI+ citizens of Ireland through the promotion of inclusion, protection of rights and the improvement of the quality of life and wellbeing for LGBTI+ people.  The LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy is an action-oriented mission to ensure all LGBTI+ young people are visible, valued and included, and arose from the National Youth Strategy which identified LGBT young people as a specific group to be considered in the context of focused provision for marginalised/disadvantaged young people.  

Together these strategies play an important part in achieving the Government's broader commitment to continue to strive for the full inclusion of LGBTI+ people in Irish society.  Actions relating to the health of LGBTI+ citizens fall to the Department of Health and the HSE.

A proposed model of care for transgender children, adolescents and adults has been developed by the HSE Quality Improvement Division.  The model provides the framework for the development of National Gender Clinics and MDTs for children and adults.  The emerging evidence on good outcomes following medical and/or surgical transitioning is based on use of multi-disciplinary psychosocial assessment, fulfilment of criteria for hormones and on-going psychological support throughout the process. Local and international evidence increasingly suggests that this multidisciplinary approach should be led by a child psychiatrist with an interest in child and adolescent gender identity. 

The Department of Health is committed to the development by the HSE of a well-governed and patient-centred health care service for adults and children in the transgender community, in line with the Programme for Government.

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