The gender recognition process for 16- and 17-year-olds will be simplified under new legislation announced by the Government.
Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty said she will seek to amend the Gender Recognition Act 2015 in response to the findings of a review group which reported back last summer.
However, legal rights group FLAC joined LGBT+ groups TENI and BeLonG To in expressing “disappointment” that she had not committed to implementing all of the recommendations of the review group.
Ms Doherty said: “One of the main findings of the review group was that the current legislation is too onerous for children aged 16 and 17 years, as it involves a court process and certification by two medical practitioners.
“The measures I am proposing today aim to reform this process to reflect the fact that the legal recognition of a person’s gender is separate and distinct from any question of medical intervention, and should be facilitated with parental consent and a simple revocation process.”
The law will also be updated to allow for Irish citizens born outside the State and living outside the State, including Northern Ireland, to apply for a gender recognition certificate.
www.irishlegal.com/article/gender-recognition-process-to-be-simplified-for-teenagers