Debate contribution: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage
Debate contribution by Mr Eóin Tennyson on .
- MLA
- Mr Eóin Tennyson
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 22 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5740861
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I appreciate that the Member is being generous. For the avoidance of doubt and to give the Minister absolute clarity, that may mean discussing an amendment at Consideration Stage, but this is not Consideration Stage. This is the Second Stage, and we are considering the principles of the Bill. I have said that the intent here is that the court will conduct a fact-specific assessment and will have regard for whether the individual in question claims a level of knowledge, ability or skill and whether therapy is provided in a structured or formalised way. That is the outworking of what we have drafted. However, if Members want to see more of that in the Bill, I am open to that negotiation. I hope that that gives the Minister some comfort, because I have said that from this position dozens of times now at this stage, and the Minister does not seem to want to hear it. Why is "purported treatment" listed? One of the forms of conversion therapy that can occur is where an individual administers a drug that has a side effect of suppressing sex drive and libido as a means of conversion therapy. I think we would all agree that that should be captured.
206 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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