Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 March 2018
43. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to cases in which Irish citizens were leaving the State for the purposes of conversion or reparative therapies; if his Department has attempted to cease or advise against travel for such an activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12379/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has not been made aware of any recent cases in which Irish citizens were leaving the State for the purposes of conversion or reparative therapies.
As the deputy will be aware, any powers my department has to prevent any Irish citizen from travelling abroad are extremely limited and outlined in the Passports Act 2008.
Any citizen who finds themselves in distress abroad may contact the local Irish Embassy or Consulate to seek consular assistance.
My Department prepares and publishes travel advice to help people to make informed decisions about travel abroad. This is available on my Department’s website – www.dfa.ie and also via our smartphone app TravelWise. As well as country-specific advice for 200 countries, this also includes thematic travel advice covering certain categories of traveller and some particular risks and threats.
One of the areas of thematic advice offered covers issues relevant to LGBTI citizens travelling abroad. This advice describes how attitudes towards sexual orientation and gender identity can vary from country to country in a variety of ways, both legal and social, and advises that citizens should undertake research before travelling. Our advice also encourages LGBTI travellers who encounter any difficulty abroad to contact the local Irish Embassy or Consulate, emphasising that our missions offer non-judgemental advice and support for all Irish citizens regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation or any other criteria.
