Providing free contraception to 16-year-olds would amount to the State “giving licence to underage sexual activity”, according to Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín.
His remarks comes after it emerged Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly is seeking an expansion to the scheme providing free contraception to women – including possibly to 16-year-olds – as part of the upcoming budget.
The current scheme covers women aged between 17 and 35.
Extending the upper age limit, perhaps by as much as five years, is straightforward.
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The possibility of including 16-year-olds in the scheme is being looked at, although it is said to be “legally complex” and raises ethical questions as the age of consent for sexual activity in Ireland is 17.
There is understood to be some resistance within the Department of Health to the proposal.
Meath West TD Mr Tóibín criticised the proposal saying “sexual activity for children is dangerous” and “engaging in risky sexual behaviours can lead to HIV infection, sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancy among children.
“There is also significant emotional and mental health consequences to sexual activity among minors.”
“Children are incredibly susceptible to peer pressure. This peer pressure may well increase for a child, if the State, in a practical sense, is giving licence to underage sexual activity.”
A spokesman for Mr Donnelly declined to respond to the criticism but pointed to remarks made by the Minister earlier on Tuesday that outlined his position.
Mr Donnelly said the free contraception scheme has gone “very well” with more than half of 17- to 25-year-olds availing of it.
He said access to 16-year-olds is “more complex and it’s something we’ve been discussing in the Department of Health for quite some time”.
He said “some very legitimate concerns have been raised with me, some around legal complexities, some around the age of consent being 17 ... and various principles that are used in medical ethics so there has been an ongoing discussion”.
Mr Donnelly added he has “a pretty simple view on this”, which is the age for consent for medical treatment is 16.
“A young woman in Ireland today can go into her GP and say she’s pregnant and she wants to avail of termination-of-pregnancy services and they will be provided to her quite rightly.
“I feel that if we are offering those services to a young woman who is 16 years of age she should also be able to go into her GP and say I’d like to be able to avail of free contraception. So it’s no more complex than that really.”
Mr Donnelly said there was “no resistance” to the idea within in Fianna Fáil and that there has been a lot of support in the party for women’s health initiatives.
Asked if the Government should be looking at changes to the age of consent for sexual activity he said: “That’s a broader question, not one for me for this morning.”
Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik welcomed the proposal, saying: “Any development that is positive for the health of our young people, the health of young women, that’s very, very positive indeed.”
She said she did not accept Mr Tóibín’s argument it would amount to the State giving licence to underage sex.
“If a young person can consent to medical intervention at 16 that should include the pill because as I say the pill is used for a whole multitude of reasons,” Ms Bacik said.
“It is often prescribed particularly in younger people for menstrual regulation.
“I don’t accept the argument that says that it’s necessarily inextricably linked to the age of consent [for sexual activity]. I think that’s a separate matter.”
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