115. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if her attention has been drawn to a series of investigative reports into transgender healthcare in Ireland (details supplied); if she will commit to reclassifying trans healthcare as part of sexual health rather than mental health, in line with the World Health Organization; to provide an update on the new model of care currently being developed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24053/25]

Sentiment score: 0.22

I am deeply concerned about the state of transgender healthcare services. In 2022, Ireland was found to have the worst transgender healthcare services in all of the EU by Transgender Europe, TGEU. The only dedicated gender clinic has approximately 2,000 people on the waiting list. Only 162 were removed last year. Waiting times are between three years and ten years, which is not acceptable. The journal.ie recently published a harrowing report on those services. One patient described feeling traumatised after going to the services. Another said it felt like an interrogation. People are being forced to go online to access hormone replacement therapy, HRT. Has the Minister seen these reports? Will she commit to reclassifying transgender healthcare under sexual health instead of mental health, following the model of the WHO? Will she provide an update to the Dáil on the model of care?

Sentiment score: -0.01

I thank the Minister. The pace of change is far too slow. This issue has been going on for many years. We need an acceleration and the delivery of high-quality services for people across the country. The current system is operating on an outdated model. As the Minister said, in 2019 the WHO reclassified transgender healthcare as a sexual health issue. Despite this, the services are still being treated here under mental health. Being transgender is not a mental health condition but not having access to these services has an impact on people's mental health. Transgender healthcare services are lifesaving services. In 2013, a Transgender Equality Network Ireland study found that 78% of transgender people had considered suicide, but after they accessed services, that dropped to 4%. These are crucial and lifesaving services. The Minister spoke recently about a framework to think about services with some that are operating well, some that need to be improved and some that are causing harm. I genuinely believe these services are causing harm to people and need to be improved.

Sentiment score: 0.00

I fundamentally believe that the new model of care must be in line with the WHO guidelines. It must use an informed consent model and be delivered in the community, which is crucial. There are models in place in other countries that we can look to, including in Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Malta, Canada and parts of the United States. They are already operating this model of care. That is where we need to be looking for best practice. The development of this model of care must be accelerated and crucially, it must be done with engagement with the community, people who are directly affected and their families. To date, that has not happened and relationships between the national gender service and the community are poor and need to be improved. People need to have a say in these services and the voice of the people must be crucial in that. It also needs to align with the core principles of Sláintecare, which are community-based and patient-centred because ultimately we are dealing with people's human rights and the right to healthcare because trans rights are human rights.

Sentiment score: 0.33