\u2018Conversion therapy\u2019 continues to exist in Ireland, despite opposition from medical bodies and repeated calls for a legal ban.<\/p>\n
The dangerous practice that seeks to \u2018change\u2019 the gender identity or sexual orientation of individuals has been widely debunked and rejected by a large number of psychological and psychiatric organisations, including the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the European Psychiatric Association.<\/p>\n
The Prohibition of Conversion Therapies Bill 2018 was introduced in Ireland and presented to the Seanad by Senator Fintan Warfield in April 2018 as a private members\u2019 bill. It sought to prohibit so-called \u2018conversion therapy\u2019, a deceptive and harmful practice against a person\u2019s sexual orientation, gender identity and\/or gender expression.<\/p>\n
The bill passed its second reading in the Seanad in May 2018 but did not complete all stages before the dissolution of the D\u00e1il and Seanad ahead of the 2020 general election.<\/p>\n
A draft of new government legislation to ban the practice and make provision for criminal offences was first brought to Cabinet by Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O\u2019Gorman in June 2023.<\/p>\n
On 16 January 2024, the government published its Legislation Programme for Spring 2024, listing the planned \u2018conversion therapy\u2019 ban in Ireland as a priority bill for publication.<\/p>\n
In the same year, the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland, the Psychological Society of Ireland and the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy signed a memorandum<\/a> renouncing the practice. In a joint statement, the groups said there is \u201cno place in a modern, progressive society for conversion therapy\u201d. All three groups described it as \u201cunethical, potentially harmful and not supported by evidence\u201d.<\/p>\n Despite condemnation from healthcare bodies and the Government\u2019s commitment to enact a legal ban, there is currently no law in Ireland prohibiting the practice.<\/p>\n While the bill may have stalled, the work of LGBTQ+ organisations has not, as they continue to highlight both the harm caused by the practice and the urgent need to address it on a legislative level.<\/p>\n In 2023, Belong To<\/a> issued a statement saying a ban would be particularly important for LGBTQ+ youth. \u201cUnder the Mental Health Act, those under 18 do not have the right to refuse mental health treatment, including conversion practices, once their parent has consented,\u201d the group said at the time. \u201cIt is also important that this legislation complements the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act, to ensure that social media companies fulfil their responsibility to remove advertisements for this harmful practice.\u201d<\/p>\n Last year, a\u00a0petition calling for an EU ban<\/a> garnered over one million signatures and was put before the European Commission. In response, EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen wrote a letter stating that the EU\u2019s equality commissioner, Hadja Lahbib, has been instructed to develop a new LGBTQ+ strategy that will include a ban on the practice.<\/p>\n Speaking about the issue on International Day to End Conversion Therapy, Adam Long, Board Director of the National LGBTQ+ Federation (NXF), stated: \u201cSo-called \u2018conversion therapy\u2019 is an inherently abusive practice and recognised as a form of torture against LGBTQ+ people. It has no place in any civilised society. Yet, shockingly, it is still occurring under various guises, including here in Ireland.\u201d<\/p>\n He continued: \u201cOn the occasion of International Day to End Conversion Therapy, we strongly reaffirm our call for these abhorrent practices to be subject to a full and comprehensive legislative ban, absent from any loopholes that would enable them to continue in practice.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are calling on the government to honour its commitment contained in both the current and previous Programme for Government to enact such a ban without further delay, which will see Ireland join the growing number of countries that have already outlawed this so-called \u2018therapy\u2019 targeting a person\u2019s sexual orientation and\/or gender identity\/expression.\u201d<\/p>\n In the UK, \u2018conversion therapy\u2019 is currently legal; however, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Labour\u2019s plan to ban the practice<\/a> in 2024. The political party said the proposed bill will be a \u201cfull, trans-inclusive ban\u201d but \u201cmust not cover legitimate psychological support, treatment, or non-directive counselling.\u201d<\/p>\n However, little progress has been made on the bill since then, and it remains up for debate in the House of Lords.<\/p>\n \u00a9 2026 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.<\/p>\n Support GCN<\/p>\n GCN is a free, vital resource for Ireland\u2019s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.<\/p>\n GCN is a trading name of National LGBT Federation CLG, a registered charity – Charity Number: 20034580<\/a>.<\/p>\n \nGCN relies on the generous support of the community and allies to sustain the crucial work that we do. Producing GCN is costly, and, in an industry which has been hugely impacted by rising costs, we need your support to help sustain and grow this vital resource.<\/p>\n