The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr. Katherine Zappone TD, has today launched the Year 1 Report on Implementation of the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy at an Implementation Forum attended by cross government partners and stakeholders at Collins Barracks. The LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy 2018 – 2020 was launched during Pride in 2018 and is a world first. The actions initiated in the first year of implementation have focused on the lives of LGBTI+ young people across a range of domains, with a particular emphasis on education, health, safe and inclusive spaces, and increased consideration of the issues faced by trans young people.
Minister Zappone said:
In June of this year my Department began a review process, requesting updates on progress made by all Government Departments and Agencies in the implementation of the strategy. The purpose of this Implementation Forum today is to reflect on the progress we have made, to identify where more progress can be made and to examine how we can all work together to continue to progress the actions in the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy.
I am delighted to see that fifty-five of the fifty-nine actions under the Strategy have already been initiated or planning initiation, in many cases much earlier than previously indicated. The actions initiated in the first year of implementation have focused on developing a greater understanding of relevant LGBTI+ issues across all sectors.
Work is taking place to actively promote LGBTI+ inclusion in policies or standards across all sectors and research is ongoing to ensure that we fully understand the issues faced by young LGBTI+ people. The ongoing implementation of the Strategy will also be supported by the implementation of its partner strategy, the LGBTI+ National Inclusion Strategy (Department of Justice and Equality), with many goals and actions dove-tailing across both strategies. The LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy is cross-Governmental and successful implementation requires significant collaboration and engagement between a number of Government Departments, State Agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations in order to ensure that LGBTI+ young people can achieve the same positive outcomes as all young people. The Implementation Forum today provides an opportunity for all stakeholders to review progress made to date and examine how further collaboration and progress can be made in the implementation of this ambitious Strategy.
Notes for Editors:First Annual Report on the Implementation of the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy 2018-2020
Overview of Findings of Year 1 Implementation Report on Implementation of the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy
The actions initiated in the first year of implementation have largely focused on developing a greater understanding of relevant LGBTI+ issues, with efforts centred on:
● Capacity Building (e.g., professional development training for teachers, social workers, gardaí, service providers);
● Reviews (e.g. National Council for Curriculum and Assessment’s Review of Relationships and Sexuality Education, the Department for Justice and Equality’s current review of the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989);
● Research (e.g., the Department for Justice and Equality’s research into hate crime approaches in other jurisdictions),
● Awareness raising for young people, parents, teachers, youth workers and health workers through online initiatives in health, education and youth services in addition to face-to-face training;
● Promotion of LGBTI+ inclusion in policies or standards and through the development of the ‘welcome sticker’,
● Alignment of effort including aligning the adult LGBTI+ Strategy with this Strategy and mapping LGBTI+ youth services to better understand provision;
● Increasing the visibility of LGBTI+ young people. This is done, for example, in how data is gathered and analysed by an Garda Siochána, Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and others, and developing collections associated with the Irish Queer Archive.
The actions initiated in the first year of implementation have focused on the lives of LGBTI+ young people across a range of domains, with a particular emphasis on education, health, safe and inclusive spaces, and increased consideration of the issues faced by trans young people.
The ongoing implementation of the Strategy will also be supported by the implementation of its partner strategy, the LGBTI+ National Inclusion strategy (Department of Justice and Equality), with many goals and actions dovetailing across both strategies.
LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy 2018 - 2020
The LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy 2018 - 2020 was published on 29th June 2018 and is a world first. It is a key commitment for the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) as part of the 2016 Programme for Partnership Government and is making a significant contribution towards the Government's broader commitment to continue to strive for the full inclusion of LGBTI+ people in Irish society. It is a 3-year Strategy that is strongly action oriented with the mission to ensure all LGBTI+ young people are visible, valued and included.
The Strategy and its governance lie within the framework of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: The Policy Framework for Children and Young People.
In June 2019, DCYA requested update reports from all government partners outlining their progress of actions committed to under the Strategy. The First Annual Report on the Implementation of the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy 2018-2020 provides details of progress across government in the implementation of the Strategy.