Sinn Féin defends stance on puberty blockers

First Minister Michelle O’Neill has said Sinn Féin wants "the best possible medical support for children and young people who need trans healthcare" after a temporary ban on the sale or supply of puberty blockers was extended to cover Northern Ireland.

BBC News NI understands the matter was dealt with by way of urgent procedure, with the order signed off by the first and deputy first ministers without wider Stormont executive approval.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) - which holds the deputy first minister role - said extending the ban was "a sensible decision based on expert medical opinion".

Sinn Féin has faced criticism from some other political parties over the move.

Puberty blockers suppress the release of hormones and can be prescribed to children questioning their gender.

In May, the Conservative government tightened rules on the drugs, introducing an emergency ban on them being prescribed by private and European prescribers.

That ban has been renewed and came into effect in Northern Ireland on Tuesday.

The move to ban the drugs came after a report into children's gender services - the Cass Review - found "remarkably weak" evidence on treatments such as puberty blockers.

Critics of Sinn Féin have said the ban signals a shift in the party's stance on transgender healthcare and its commitment to LGBT rights.

At the Pride Talks Back event in 2023, when asked if the party supported transgender teenagers being given access to puberty blockers, Sinn Féin MLA for Mid Ulster Emma Sheerin said: "Yes."

On Tuesday, Sinn Féin deputy leader Ms O’Neill said the temporary ban on puberty blockers was "based on clear and unequivocal advice from the chief medical officer pending review".

“Children, parents and clinicians need to have full confidence in the effectiveness and safety of medical treatments," she said.

"Health care and clinical decisions need to be based on the scientific and medical evidence.”

On Saturday, Green Party leader Mal O'Hara said he was "hugely disappointed by the executive parties" over the ban.

As well as Sinn Féin and the DUP, the executive has ministers from the Alliance Party and the Ulster Unionist Party.

Mr O'Hara attended the Foyle Pride parade in Londonderry on Saturday, where he said there was "palpable anger at the executive parties, particularly Sinn Féin, for the banning of puberty blockers".

He posted a photo of a sign which read: "Hey Sinn Féin. Do you support LGBTQ+ people?"

The Irish Labour Party's LGBTQ+ group also called for an "all island approach for LGBTQ+ people, with a gender-affirming healthcare system for all".

Posting on X, the party said: "We must also hold parties like Sinn Féin to account in their attacks on trans youth.

"We need to stand by our trans siblings and youth."

In Northern Ireland, puberty blockers were only available on NHS prescription for under-18s, for those young people who were accepted onto the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Gender Identity Service endocrine pathway prior to March 2020.

It is understood children already on this medical pathway will continue to receive treatment.

Hormone suppressors also remain available for patients receiving the drugs for other uses, such as early-onset puberty.

The Cass Review was led by leading paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass and prompted the last government to ban the use of puberty blockers for under-18s questioning their gender – a move which was then supported by Labour when it won the general election in July.

Transgender youth support charity Mermaids said it was "very disappointed" by the decision to extend the ban to Northern Ireland as it "sets a worrying precedent".

DUP health spokesperson Diane Dodds said the decision to extend the ban was "a sensible decision based on expert medical opinion".

"Our position on the provision of puberty blockers has been clear and given the lack of long-term evidence of their safety it is right that the most cautious approach is taken," she said.

She added that ensuring NI was included in the ban was "the most sensible outcome" and she is "glad that we have finally arrived at that destination.