The Cabinet has given approval this afternoon for plans to ban conversion therapy and its advertising in Ireland.

The Government received an update from Minister for Equality Roderic O'Gorman this morning on plans to bring forward the laws prohibiting conversion therapy for LGBTI+ people in Ireland.

The bill is set to be brought forward in the coming weeks.

The law is being discussed based on a report released by the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Trinity College Dublin in February, which surveyed over 278 people.

The new proposals include criminal law offences around the practice, as well as a ban against advertising it.

The legislation is expected to cover conversion therapies aimed at altering both sexual orientation and gender identity.

Minister O'Gorman said, "Conversion practices take place in Ireland rarely, thankfully, but they do take place."

"They can be deeply, deeply harmful to those who undergo them.

"We're bringing forward legislation to ban the practice of conversion practices, and we'll be implementing a criminal offence upon those who will undertake them."