Genspect Submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024

As part of its pre-legislative scrutiny of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024, the Joint Committee on Children and Equality invited submissions from members of the public and civil society groups. Genspect responded with a detailed written submission focused on legal clarity, balanced rights, and evidence-based policymaking.

Our submission highlights the following key issues:

• The need to clearly define biological sex in Irish equality legislation;
• Existing protections for gender reassignment, already covered under Irish and EU law;
• The importance of safeguarding single-sex spaces for reasons of privacy, safety, and dignity;
• The case for protecting freedom of belief and expression, including gender-critical views;
• The lack of a clear legal definition for gender identity, and the risks of embedding vague or ideological language in law;
• Testimonies from families, detransitioners, and professionals affected by current policies;
• International developments including the Cass Review and the UK Supreme Court ruling that reaffirms sex-based legal protections.

We argue that equality law must serve all members of society — not by suppressing disagreement, but by ensuring legal certainty and safeguarding everyone’s rights in a pluralistic democracy.

Genspect is committed to contributing constructively to policy discussions in Ireland and internationally. We would welcome the opportunity to provide further evidence or take part in Committee hearings.

For press or policy enquiries, please contact us at info@genspect.org.