Mary Henry (Independent)

I thank the Minister of State for stating he will reconsider amendment No. 3 for Report Stage. Did the Minister of State and his officials consider the Medical Council's ethical guidelines on medical practice? They advise extreme care in getting the consent of older children and I do not wish to see a situation where the consent of everyone else is considered because much of this relates to medical consent. We must be very careful regarding how the child feels about the procedure that is to be undertaken. It is important that the treatment be explained carefully. We have discussed child and adolescent psychiatric disease previously in this House and I hope the Minister of State can consider the Medical Council's points on this along with ancillary advice he might receive.

I am worried that there might be a conflict of interest in this area. Foster parents may be well able to listen to the child and at the same time the medical practitioner is advised to take cognisance of what the child says. Everyone can do their best for a child and try to return him or her to the family unit from which he or she came, but a month later that child may be back with his or her relatives or unrelated foster parents.