A landmark action by transgender woman Lydia Foy against the State seeking a new birth certificate and legal recognition of her female gender has been effectively settled.

The High Court has heard the action was settled on the basis that the Government has a "firm intention" to enact the Gender Recognition Bill in 2015.

Nicholas Butler, counsel for the State, told the High Court today that it was the Government’s “expressed intention” to enact legislation that would allow Dr Foy to obtain a birth certificate reflecting her gender. Butler said: “It is the firm intention of the Government to introduce the Bill into the Oireachtas and have it enacted as soon as possible in 2015”.

Following this, counsel for Dr Foy said the case - which was listed for hearing on November the 4th - should now instead be mentioned again on the 29th of January of next year.

Dr Foy was not in court today but her solicitor Michael Farrell says she was "very pleased" at this agreement which ended 21 years of fruitless correspondence with state agencies and lengthy litigation to get a birth certificate showing her female gender.

A statement from FLAC (Free Legal Advice Centre) said: FLAC Senior Solicitor Michael Farrell said this was a welcome, if overdue, conclusion to 17 years of litigation by Dr Foy just to get herself recognised in the gender she has lived in every day for the last 24 years. He noted it was also a major step forward for the transgender community in the State, who have been waiting for legal recognition for many years.

Mr Farrell said Dr Foy was very pleased at this agreement which ended 21 years of fruitless correspondence with state agencies and lengthy litigation just to get a birth certificate showing her female gender.