Cabinet to discuss legislation on gender identity

Legislation allowing people who undergo sex-change operations to be officially identified by their new gender, is set to be discussed by cabinet today. The law is expected to be in place before the Dáil recess in mid-July.

The bill was initially called for after a successful European Court of Human Rights case taken by dentist Lydia Forde against the State in 2010. Dr Forde took the action as, despite undergoing a transgender operation in 1993, she was unable to identify herself as a woman in official documentation — a situation that the court said was a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The bill to shore up the legal dispute passed the first stages of becoming law in March before it was delayed until after the same-sex marriage referendum to avoid any confusion over the vote.