Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is correct. As I have said in the House, the normal rules of consent apply. Parental consent is required where somebody is under the age of 16. Apart from the flawed nature of the amendment, there is no need to put this in legislation. We already have provisions for medical consent. It is in the Medical Council guidelines and the HSE's policy of consent for young people with children. There are obviously exceptional circumstances and we have discussed them already. However, the rules on medical consent are exactly the same for this procedure as for any other.

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