Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021
3019. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will clarify procedures and processes around parental guardian consent in administering contraceptives in care home settings with a view to controlling monthly menstruation in a young autistic person (details supplied); if a parent, guardian should have the final say in whether this should proceed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40002/21]
View answerAs Minister for Health, I take very seriously the importance of ensuring consent for an intervention, receipt or use of a service. The HSE has a National Consent Policy to guide staff and the need for consent, and the application of the general principles in this policy, extends to all interventions conducted by or on behalf of the HSE on service users in all locations. As this matter refers to an individual case, I have referred the matter to the HSE.
Members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
