The government today launched its first-ever national strategy aiming to improve the lives of LGBT youth around the country.
The strategy, which was led by Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone, was launched in Meeting House Square today. In it, 15 goals were set out to be achieved over the next three years, focusing on improving the health of Ireland’s LGBT youth, creating safe and supportive environments and using to data to better understand the lives of LGBT young people.
Zappone announced that her department would guarantee that €40,000 per year be used on improving youth services and making them more LGBT friendly.
Fourteen young people sat on the strategy’s youth advisory group, while prominent Irish Times journalist Una Mullally acted as an independent chair for the strategy.
In a press statement, Zappone said: “Ireland has taken big steps in terms of equality. Decriminalisation, Marriage Equality and the Gender Recognition Act are huge positives, acknowledged by the young people we spoke to. But it is also clear more must be done.”
“No-one in this country should feel isolated, discriminated against or bullied – yet that is a reality for some younger members of our LGBTI+ Community”, she said.
Zappone said that the strategy included “real actions which go a long way to addressing these concerns”, assuring that the government is “whole-heartedly behind this effort”.
In her introduction to the strategy, Mullally said: “Ireland has an opportunity to emerge as the best country in the world in which to grow up LGBT+, and we are well positioned to take that challenge on and inspire other countries to follow our leadership.”
The strategy includes plans to make sexual health services and education more inclusive, as well as strengthening mental health services to respond to the needs of LGBT young people. Among the goals is to prohibit gay conversion therapy.
