A new report has called on the Irish government to do more.

In the 2020 edition of the annual ILGA report  healthcare for trans people living in Ireland has been shown to be “inadequate”.

The report documents legal, political and social developments in 54 different countries and four European institutions over the last 365 days. It notes key trends regarding equality and human rights for the LGBTI community in Europe and Central Asia.

The report recognised moments such as the recent healthcare rally outside the Dáil in September of last year that highlighted the insufficient healthcare services for trans people. However, the annual publication stated that despite such rallies no changes have been made since the 2017 report of the Irish Commission for Human Rights and Equality which echoed sentiments that healthcare provisions were insufficient.

The report says, “No improvements have been made since the 2017 report of the Irish Commission for Human Rights and Equality, which stated that trans healthcare is in violation of the European Social Charter, is inadequate, and that ‘treatment is not guaranteed in practice.’ ”

According to the report waiting times are too long and are estimated to be around two years.

The recently published document also voices its concerns that Irish people under the age of 16 cannot be legally recognised as trans.

Continuing it stated that those in particular danger of marginalisation  in Ireland were gay and lesbian asylum seekers in the direct provision system. Their status as part of the LGBTI community is not taken into account when placing them in accommodation and at times those deported are sent to countries where they are at “severe risk,” it says.

In terms of potential changes moving forward the report called for new legislation to allow LGBTI couples to register as parents when a child is born through surrogacy.

It also examined the 2019 pride celebrations. Saying that  despite the fact last year’s celebrations saw the gardaí join the parade and the houses of the Oireachtas  raise a pride flag, the presence of an alternative event that called out the “commodification” of the proceedings demonstrated calls for concern over the celebrations being subject to corporatisation.

Despite some progress being made in Europe the report warns of “a surface impression that does not tell a complete or accurate story”.

Click here to read the report.

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