Sharon Keogan warns on WPATH influence in Irish healthcare debate
Sharon Keogan addressed concerns about the adoption of WPATH Standards of Care by nursing and midwifery bodies and the influence of NGOs on gender and sex policy. She criticised WPATH as ideological and unscientific, warned that affirmative care for minors lacks robust evidence and called for the Minister for Health to appear before the Oireachtas for an open debate.
Motion and organisations
The speech cites PATHI, the Professional Association for Trans Health Ireland, as welcoming the Irish nurses and midwives organisations (IMMO) decision to advocate adopting the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards of Care. Keogan said the motion reportedly passed with 97% support and expressed scepticism about near-unanimous votes when only one side of an argument is presented.
Concerns about WPATH and affirmative care
Keogan characterised WPATH as having an ideological, unscientific approach and activist-heavy leadership. She warned that the affirmative care model for gender dysphoria, especially in minors, faces global criticism for lacking robust evidence and for causing irreversible harm to vulnerable youth, and she noted treatments like puberty blockers are heavily restricted in the UK despite WPATH claiming reversibility.
Call for parliamentary scrutiny
She called on the Minister for Health to appear before the chamber for an open debate and to clarify the Minister's position in light of what she described as a growing global reassessment. Keogan said she has twice previously urged the Oireachtas to lead an open discussion on gender and sex policy and on treatment of minors with gender dysphoria.
Transcript conclusion and remarks
The available transcript concludes with fragmented remarks indicating she would continue with a session on behavioural assessment, with portions of the closing remarks recorded as disjointed. The speech focuses on policy, evidence, and a demand for clearer parliamentary oversight of decisions affecting minor patients.
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I rise today to speak about a worrying development in our medical policy-making sector. Last week, PATHI, the Professional Association for Trans Health Ireland, welcomed the Irish nurses and midwives organisations, the IMMO, decision to advocate for adopting the World Professional Association for Transgender Health Standards of Care, the WPATH, an organisation criticised for its ideological, unscientific approach and activist-heavy leadership. The motion reportedly passed with 97% support. While I'm sceptical of such conformity in any vote, it's sadly common in our nation. Of course, people will vote with near unanimity when they have only been exposed to one side of the argument and told the opposing side is morally reprehensive. When they hear of it at all. Twice in the last two months, I've stood in this chamber calling for the Oireachtas to lead an open discussion on gender and sex policy, especially regarding treatment of minors with gender dysphoria. I warned that our silence and often monolithic stance in steering us towards endorsing the affirmative care model, whose basis and theory, and I use those words loosely in this case, face global criticism for lacking robust evidence and causing irreversible harm to vulnerable youth. Treatments like puberty blockers, heavily restricted in the UK, are still claimed by WPATH to be reversible. We are still allowing a small clique of NGOs and policy makers who, in my opinion, should really be seen as ideological activists to dominate, turning a national conversation into an elitist monologue. I therefore call on the Minister for Health to appear before this chamber, an open debate on this issue and clarify the Minister's position in light of the growing global reassessment. I will continue with Mr. Okay one souls close to the microphone with Zipini? Quele if you may causeälfte your students wanting to allow or don't you care what are going to spend the time? So, today I shall begin the session for theavioural assessment. This is
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