Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies. To be honest, I do not have a policy view on this. This is an expert view from the HSE. As I understand it, the HSE is essentially saying that rather than linking the decision-making on this to a disease, we should link it to the treatment for the child. A disease may or may not cause fertility issues, some of which may be permanent and some of which may be temporary. It is the treatment of the disease or the treatment the child is getting that can have a big impact on fertility. I refer, for example, to a chemotherapy treatment for a child.

For me, this is not a policy issue. I take Deputy Shortall’s point about whether such measures could be provided for in statutory instruments rather than in the Bill. There is, however, no attempt here to restrict access for children. In fact, to address Deputy Shortall’s point, the science is becoming more and more mind-blowing in terms of what can be done. This is a matter of experts in the HSE saying that if are to do right by the child, we must base this on the treatment of the child, and not the disease of the child. That is it. I am just going with the specialist advice that came back from the HSE on this.

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