Transgender, non-binary and intersex people face discrimination and persecution worldwide. This Saturday, Trans & Intersex Pride will march in Dublin at 2 p.m. I have drafted a Bill, the non-binary and intersex recognition Bill, which I am hoping the Government will support, to give legal rights to such people. It recognises a non-binary gender in the gender recognition certificate - an X marker. It would allow parents the option of an X marker if their child is born with intersex characteristics, something that forces many parents to carry out dangerous surgery. It would provide equality in the law in Ireland, which the Department of Social Protection, in its LGBT+ plan, says it is committed to doing. Many countries recognise non-binary and intersex people, such as the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Malta, Iceland, even the USA, Australia and New Zealand - I could go on. Will the Government get behind this Bill? It can introduce a Bill of its own, if it likes, but I ask it to support my Bill.

Forgive me, but I have not quite read the Bill in its entirety yet. The Minister for Health and the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Mary Butler, are looking in particular at the healthcare needs of trans people more generally. Again, whether the legislative route is the route to go is an issue I would raise with the Deputy. She is correct that, in Ireland, many within the intersex community are coming under a lot of attack, some verbal, some physical. We had a meeting with representatives of the LGBTI+ recently. It was quite disturbing in terms of the different atmosphere out there now compared with would have been the case a number of years ago. We have to give all of these issues careful consideration regarding the protection of people and the creating of space for people. The priority for us-----