Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to speak briefly to the section which deals with consent. It states: "Nothing in this Act shall operate to affect any enactment or rule of law relating to consent ...". Therefore, existing legislation applies. I am particularly interested in two case scenarios. One relates to where the pregnant woman is under the age of 16. My understanding is that when a woman is aged 16 or older consent is not required under law from a medical perspective, as the woman is an adult. Will the Minister advise how this will work for women under the age of 16? Will the young woman need to a parent or a guardian to accompany her? Is it expected that forms will need to be signed? Can it be done at the time? How does the Minister foresee that working? My other question relates to the existing law, which is what we are applying here. It relates to the case of a woman who is over the age 16 but may have an intellectual impairment, an intellectual disability. Will the Minister talk us through the way it is envisaged both of those case scenarios will be dealt with?