The government has established a Policy and Oversight Group for Gender Healthcare in Ireland. The Department of Health, particularly Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD and Minister for Mental Health Mary Butler TD, announced the news on Wednesday, June 24.

The group’s purpose is to provide strategic oversight with regard to the Programme for Government’s commitment to “ensure a gender healthcare service is based on clinical evidence, respect, inclusiveness and compassion.” The aforementioned Ministers will act as co-chairs, with other members including the Chief Medical Officer, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Chief Nursing Officer and other Department of Health officials.

At the group’s first formal meeting, Chief Clinical Officer of the HSE Dr Colm Henry and his team provided an update on the development of a new Model of Care for gender healthcare services in Ireland. Minister Butler also shared some of the international best practice she witnessed from recent visits she undertook “to learn about gender healthcare services in Iceland, Malta and Spain”.

“What was clear from these visits was that gender-affirming care can be compassionate, dignified and respectful of a person’s gender identity while also providing excellent evidence-based care led by a multidisciplinary team of experienced clinicians,” she said.

“Most people just want a service that will support them, particularly with access to counselling and psychotherapy, and we saw really successful examples of this in Iceland, Malta and Spain where nursing and social work professionals provided wraparound supports to people throughout their journeys.

“Irish law has recognised the right of an individual to determine their own gender identity since 2015, and approximately 2,500 people have obtained a gender recognition certificate over the past decade. It is long overdue that we provide this small, and often vulnerable cohort of people with adequate healthcare that affirms their legal gender identity.”

She committed to continuing to work closely with the Minister for Health and other Department officials, as well as the HSE, “to deliver a service based on the best clinical evidence that compassionately and respectfully supports people to live their best lives.”

Following their first formal meeting, the group visited Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre during Dublin Pride week to receive a briefing about issues facing the LGBTQ+ community, including poverty, homelessness and substance misuse.

Minister Carroll MacNeill said she “enjoyed” the visit, and “was deeply struck” by the conversations and “the importance of having a space to feel safe, seen and celebrated”.

Outhouse CEO Oisín O’Reilly welcomed the establishment of the Policy and Oversight Group for Gender Healthcare, describing it as “a positive step that provides reassurance that reform remains a clear priority and that the work is moving forward at pace.”

Speaking about the Ministers’ visit to the centre, he added, “Our conversation focused on the development of the new model of care, the importance of meaningful community involvement, and the hopes, expectations and needs of Ireland’s trans and gender-diverse communities.

“I came away reassured by the approach being taken and by the Ministers’ commitment to delivering lasting reform. We look forward to continuing to work constructively with Government and the HSE to help ensure that trans people across Ireland can access timely, compassionate and evidence-based healthcare.”

Ireland’s trans healthcare service is among the worst in Europe, with campaigners long calling for radical reform. Speaking about the establishment of the new Policy and Oversight Group, Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI)’s Executive Director Daire Demspey shared: “TENI have been working with the HSE and the Department of Health to develop trans healthcare services that are fit for purpose, patient-centred, and based on international best practice.

“Where internationally other Governments have rolled back on trans rights, we commend Minister Carroll MacNeill and Minister Butler for their leadership and commitment in relation to trans healthcare. I welcome comments from both Ministers affirming the principles by which trans healthcare must be guided, underpinned by their learning from international best practice models. My hope is that the Policy and Oversight group will play a crucial role in ensuring that future services meet the urgent healthcare needs of our community.

“The crisis in trans healthcare has been ongoing for a decade. We have an opportunity now to finally address this crisis by building trans healthcare services that enable trans people to lead happy, fulfilled and dignified lives,” they concluded.