The relationship between Teni, the transgender support and lobbying group, and the state’s National Gender Service (NGS), which treats people seeking gender-related medical interventions, has been completely severed.
HSE executives have expressed concern about social media posts by Teni staff, and health sources say some posts were deemed offensive to NGS staff.
Teni, which stands for Transgender Equality Network Ireland, received €1.24 million in HSE funding from 2017 to 2021 to support work, including educating schools and HSE staff on transgender issues and hosting support groups for transgender people and their families .
The non-governmental organization, which has not been granted charitable status, has suspended its HSE funding from April to the end of June after repeatedly failing to meet HSE and corporate audited bill submission deadlines.
In meetings between the HSE and Teni — who was represented by Sara Phillips, its longtime chairman until her resignation last month, and Tina Kolos Orban, its new chief executive — the health service expressed concern over Teni’s “frayed” relationship with the NGS, according to a statement from the HSE. records released under Freedom of Information requests.
Teni is critical of NGS waiting times of more than two years to access the NGS, with about 800 people on the waiting list.
In a presentation to the HSE, Teni complained that the NGS had “closed off” alternative routes to healthcare.
Teni said without HSE funding there would be a reduction in support services, an increase in the use of online hormone treatment and increased pressure on HSE mental health care. It predicted “increased drug use, self-harm and suicidality in the community”.
It presented an overview of its transgender awareness training in primary and after school education, including working on transition plans for students in schools and “correct language use”.
Teni complained that it had seen “continuous attacks on the community by the media”. It called for support for “building affirmative families, schools, workplaces and communities.” Social media and public comments by some Teni employees have strongly criticized the NGS.
Shoshanna Éirénne Carroll, the former CEO of Teni who stepped down last year, accused the NGS of criminal behavior by refusing her operation. She said it had a “phobic” leadership.
Keeva Lilith Ferreyra-Carroll, Teni’s national community development officer, tweeted that the NGS accused her of libel for posting her experiences, saying it was breaking professional relations with Teni.
In an April 1 letter to John Meehan, head of the HSE’s National Office of Suicide Prevention, Ms. Phillips said the sudden death of the organization’s accountant delayed Teni’s completion of her 2020 accounts. Ms Phillips said she wrote to Dr Karl Neff of the NGS to request a chat about their relationship.
Ms. Phillips was aware that there had been “a breakdown in communication” between the service and Teni’s previous CEO, but was “unaware of the issues”. She said she was “lucky to repair any damage caused in the past”.
At a May 19 meeting with the HSE, Ms Phillips and Ms Orban said Teni is committed to “strengthening governance systems” and working with the HSE to find solutions to the issues facing the gender service.
The HSE expressed concerns about “the use of social media by Teni employees”. Ms Orban said “these will be discussed with all staff involved”. The HSE shared its own social media guidelines.
At a second meeting on June 8, the HSE said that to restore confidence, Teni would need to meet the reporting deadlines set in a new service level agreement.
Ms Phillips said Teni was in a “serious situation” over the funding suspension.
An overdraft facility was used “to keep the organization afloat”, but €46,000 of a €50,000 facility had been spent.
At a third meeting on June 16, Mr. Meehan said that Teni had already provided much of the information requested. Ms. Phillips apologized and said she was confident that Teni would meet reporting requirements under her new leadership.
Ms Orban said she had investigated staff’s use of social media. Teni’s policy had been revised and it would “work to protect staff and funders”. It acknowledged that relations with the NGS were “frayed”.
Mr. Meehan offered to write to the NGS to encourage commitment to Teni’s new leadership.
At the meeting, Teni agreed to return HSE funding for a training program that has not taken place due to Covid. HSE funding was reinstated on June 30.
Teni did not respond to questions last week.
The HSE said Section 39-funded organizations are not required to submit guidelines on social media use.
“However, it is a reasonable expectation that organizations have their own guidelines for responsible use of social media for their workforce,” it said.
“This point has been discussed and resolved satisfactorily with Teni.”
It said there has been no meeting between Teni and the NGS since then.
In the UK last week it said the Tavistock clinic in London that treated trans children would close after a review found the model of care put patients at “significant risk”.
Tavistock received referrals for 234 Irish patients between 2011 and 2021.
The youngest was a five-year-old girl who was referred in 2019.