The grassroots trans rights group, Transgress the NGS, staged a protest outside the National Gender Service (NGS) in Dublin on November 27 2025, calling for urgent changes to Ireland’s approach to gender-affirming healthcare and demanding that NGS clinicians withdraw from the development of a new national model of care.

The demonstration, organised by Transgress the NGS, coincided with a meeting of the NGS clinical governance committee. Members intended to deliver a letter outlining their concerns and demands. According to the group, two activists attempted to speak with senior NGS psychiatrist Dr Paul Moran, whom they describe as an opponent of expanding care for young trans people. Protesters say he declined to engage with them or accept their letter, and that security staff removed them from the hospital premises.

The letter, addressed to NGS clinicians, sets out a series of objections to current practices within the service. Transgress argue that the NGS’s reported advice to GPs, discouraging them from providing blood tests or bridging prescriptions to people accessing hormones privately or self-medicating, places trans people at unnecessary medical risk. They cite international clinical guidelines that emphasise the importance of regular monitoring of hormone levels to prevent complications such as osteoporosis, blood clots, and liver issues.

 

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The group also raises concerns about the involvement of NGS clinicians, including clinical lead Dr Karl Neff, in the Health Service Executive’s ongoing redevelopment of the national model of trans healthcare. They attribute long waiting times and what they describe as overly intrusive psychiatric assessments to senior NGS leadership, arguing that this history should preclude them from directing the reform process.

Transgress further warns that the participation of NGS staff in the consultation process may deter trans people from speaking openly about their experiences. They say some service users feel vulnerable to the possibility of losing access to care if they voice criticism directly to clinicians who hold decision-making power within the NGS.

In their letter, presented during the protest, Transgress the NGS demands the immediate withdrawal of National Gender Service staff from the model-development process and states that they will boycott any related consultation events until this happens. They have requested a formal response within two weeks and say they are prepared to escalate their campaign if their concerns are not addressed.

Transgress maintain that the future of trans healthcare in Ireland must be grounded in informed consent, community involvement, and evidence-based international best practice.