‘Transphobia’ accusation after councillor’s surgery remarks

AN ACCUSATION of “transphobia” has been levelled by Sinn Féin at a Labour councillor after he questioned the HSE’s funding of sex reassignment surgery.

Galway Labour county councillor Colm Keaveney has stated that the HSE should not pay for public patients to undergo sex-change operations abroad when cuts are being made to frontline services for children.

Sinn Féin spokesman on Equality and Human Rights, Aengus Ó Snodaigh, said: “Councillor Keaveney’s comments are sure to cause great hurt to transgender people and their friends and families. I am baffled as to why he would wish to make a target of an already marginalised and vulnerable community.”