Former Attorney General, Senator Michael McDowell, has called for the immediate end to the prescription of puberty blockers after a UK Report found no evidence to support their use in children with gender dysphoria.

In a statement released today, Senator McDowell said he has for years “publicly raised grave concerns about this practice for which Dr Cass has now found ‘no good evidence’ to support its continued use as a treatment pathway for vulnerable gender-questioning children”.

“I am today calling on the Minister for Health and the HSE to immediately discontinue in the public health service the prescription of puberty blockers.  I also call on the Irish Medical Council to issue a statement that pending the conduct of a review which needs to commence immediately that medical practitioners, including clinical psychiatrists in public and private practice, are to discontinue their use until further notice,” he said.

He added: “The long term consequences of these experimental treatments are completely unknown and Irish children must be protected whilst being treated with care and compassion.

The UK experience must now act as an urgent wake-up call to Irish law makers, medical professionals, parents and all who care for and about Irish children”.