Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said he wants to provide free contraception to 16-year-olds.
He said that in a medical setting, such as a GP's office, a 16-year-old is deemed to be an adult and can see a doctor without the presence of a parent or guardian.
"At 16 years of age, a young woman in Ireland today can go into her GP and say she's pregnant and she wants to avail of a termination of pregnancy, and those services will be provided to her quite rightly," the minister said.
Mr Donnelly said if such services were being offered to young women of that age, then they should be able to avail of free contraception.
He said for women aged 17 to 25, the free contraception scheme had been "very positive", but added that there were complexities for a younger age group.
"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 among some healthcare professionals. These are around legal complexities, the age of consent being 17, and then there are medical ethics and the various principles that are used in medical ethics."
He added that he was not in a position to comment on whether the age of consent should be changed.
