PQs on LGBTIQ+
September
To ask the Minister for Health the cost to date of HSE-funded pronoun and gender identity training programmes, including those provided by FDYS youth service under the social Inclusion budget; if she will provide a breakdown of costs by year; and the justification for allocating public health funding to these initiatives.
To ask the Minister for Health to outline her Department’s official position on the definition of biological sex and gender; whether she accepts that biological sex is immutable apart from rare intersex conditions; and if she will clarify whether the HSE’s training materials reflect official departmental policy or an ideological interpretation.
To ask the Minister for Health the rationale for HSE funding and promoting pronoun awareness training modules which state that “biological sex can change over time, in light of the established scientific consensus that biological sex is determined by chromosomes and does not change during a person’s lifetime.
To ask the Minister for Health the way the HSE reconciles its training materials that describe biological sex as a spectrum with standard medical science which recognises male and female biological categories, alongside a small number of intersex conditions; and if she will provide the scientific or clinical sources underpinning the HSE’s position.
To ask the Minister for Health whether it is the role of the HSE to promote contested ideological views on sex and gender, as opposed to focusing on the delivery of medical care and the promotion of evidence-based health education.
To ask the Minister for Health if she will examine HSE training modules on gender and pronouns to ensure that they accurately reflect biological science and do not compromise the clarity of communication essential in healthcare settings.
PQs 45610/25, 45611/25, 45615/25, 45619/25, 45620/25
To ask the Minister for Health whether she considers it appropriate that HSE training instructs staff that persistent refusal to use new or neo-pronouns requires re-education, and if she will clarify whether disciplinary processes are envisaged for staff who, on conscientious or scientific grounds, believe there are two biological sexes.
To ask the Minister for Health whether she has considered the risk of patient confusion or diminished trust in clinical settings arising from HSE staff introducing themselves with pronouns, and whether an impact assessment has been conducted to evaluate effects on patient care.
To ask the Minister for Health the reason the HSE's gender identity skills training was withdrawn; and when it was withdrawn.
To ask the Minister for Health whether the HSE has consulted with medical, psychiatric, and endocrinological experts in the preparation of its pronoun and gender identity training materials; if so, if she will publish those expert reports; and if not, if she will provide a reason such consultation was not undertaken.
To ask the Minister for Health whether she is satisfied that HSE training content which discourages the use of terms such as mother and father, parent, or guardian is compatible with maintaining clear communication in clinical and family health contexts, particularly in paediatrics, maternity services, and elder care.