Coppinger to bring forward bill to allow non-binary people have their gender recognised

Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger will bring forward a bill next week to allow non-binary people to have their gender recognised.

The Bill allows those born intersex to have more options on their birth certificate.

It also brings forward key recommendations from review of Gender Recognition Act review and Ireland’s human rights commitments at the Council of Europe.

Speaking at the press conference involving several LGBTQI organisations to launch to bill:

Ruth Coppinger TD (Solidarity) stated:

“Everyone should have the right to live as who they really are in this world. That right is being denied to non-binary and intersex people in their interactions with the Irish state and in society generally. They are forced into a rigid gender binary and face discrimination, erasure and harassment.

The Non-Binary and Intersex Recognition Bill 2026 is a vital step in giving recognition and legal protection. It would allow people to identify in the way that fits them by having a third option, or X marker, in addition to M or F on state ID documents.

Non-binary recognition was recommended in a review of the Gender Recognition Act. Ireland also signed up to equal rights for Intersex persons at the Council of Europe in October 2025.

This bill is therefore in line with promises made to the LGBTQI community for many years but not delivered. Recognition is not abstract; it is essential for people to live truthfully and freely. This bill should now be passed by the government.”

Daire Dempsey, Executive Director of Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) stated:

“With the passage of the ground-breaking Gender Recognition Act in 2015, Ireland told trans men and women that the State believes us for who we are. Unfortunately, this is not extended to non-binary people, who are not recognised in Irish law, on Irish passports, or any other documents. When your documents don’t match who you are, it is alienating, distressing, and can be deeply unsafe.

The Government committed to reviewing non-binary recognition in 2019, and no progress has been made. For a decade, part of our community has been left in legal limbo, while other countries move ahead. This Bill seeks to address that, and bring Ireland in line with EU and international leaders. Everyone deserves to be recognised for who they are, to be able to move around the world safely and freely, and to be treated with respect.”

Kieran O’Donovan, CEO of Belong To, stated:

“Belong To supports the Non-Binary and Intersex Recognition Bill 2026. For non-binary and intersex people, legal recognition is far more than an administrative update – it is a necessary affirmation of their identity that directly protects their mental health and wellbeing. While Ireland showed global leadership with the Gender Recognition Act 2015, we cannot allow non-binary people and intersex individuals to be continually left behind. At a time when LGBTQI+ rights are increasingly under pressure, it is imperative that the Government takes decisive action. We must advance this essential legislation, finally implement the outstanding recommendations from the 2018 GRA Review Group, and ensure our laws provide genuine equality, dignity, and bodily autonomy for all.”

Sorcha Ní Fhaoláin of Intersex Ireland stated:

“Despite there being at least as many intersex people as there are people with red hair, most people including our GPs know very little about us. Recognition is an important part of addressing issues intersex people face as it is a step toward reducing stigma that keeps intersex people from being able to talk about our lives and our health with friends, family and even our doctors.

“Many intersex people are assigned the wrong sex at birth and are subjected to genital surgeries and hormonal interventions that would be illegal under any other circumstances. Ireland also has the worst transgender healthcare in Europe. Allowing intersex people the opportunity to be able to change their birth certificates should they need to and register as non-binary if that is something that feels right for them is a step that would alleviate pressure on transgender care and possibly reduce the number of people who are growing intersex and on the receiving end of anti-trans hostility. There are other urgent issues such as ending harmful, irreversible, and non-consensual early intersex genital ‘normalising’ surgeries, providing adequate and appropriate healthcare for transgender people and improving Gender Recognition Act legislation, but this bill is an important step towards making life better for intersex people in Ireland.”

Cassandra Craig of Trans Healthcare Action stated:

“Trans Healthcare Action, as a grassroots collective of trans and gender diverse individuals advocating for an informed consent gender healthcare system in Ireland is in full support for this bill put forward by Deputy Ruth Coppinger. For the past 10 years, trans people in Ireland have been able to legally change their name and gender under the provisions of the Gender Recognition Act, yet despite this, non-binary and intersex people still have no recognition under this legislation, despite government commitments to include them. In 2026, trans and intersex people in Ireland still lack true bodily autonomy and the right to self-determination in healthcare and social settings. This amendment to the gender recognition legislation will not solve these issues on its own, but it is still a vital piece of legislation which would make Ireland a beacon of hope for non-binary and intersex people, amidst a sea of hate.”

Sandy Connolly (Mammies for Trans Rights) stated:

“The Mammies for Trans Rights started campaigning because we want all the children of Ireland to feel safe, valued, and included and we want them all to be allowed the dignity to explore their gender expression for themselves. This starts with legal recognition and so we are proud to support this campaign to bring the law in line with Mam’s hearts.”