In March 1993, Lydia Foy wrote to the Irish Registrar General seeking a new birth certificate showing her female gender. Her request was refused. A High Court ruling in 2007 found the State to be in breach of its positive obligations under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in failing to recognise Dr. Lydia Foy in her female gender and provide her with a new birth certificate. This was the first declaration of incompatibility to be made under the ECHR Act. 

In January 2013 Dr Foy began her third set of legal proceedings against the Irish State as part of that struggle for recognition. In November 2014, Lydia Foy settled her case and the Irish Government complied by publishing the Gender Recognition Bill on 19th December. The Gender Recognition Act was passed on 15 July 2015. It meant that a person can apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate to the Department of Social Protection in order to have their preferred gender recognised by the State.

Speaking after the Bill was accepted, Dr Foy said this was the start of a bright new life for those caught in the trap of transgender. She said: “I hope nobody in Ireland will have to go through such pains and such a long-winded approach to the law. We were getting rather impatient and Europe was looking over our shoulders as well. It is a wonderful day.”