Former Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan has called on the incoming government to investigate the role of the HSE in sending Irish children to the highly controversial Tavistock gender clinic in the UK where they were often given puberty blockers despite the lack of evidence in their favour.

Responding to news that UK authorities have now put an indefinite ban on the use of puberty blockers for under-18s, Flanagan – who is also a former Minister for Children – posted on X: “Investigation in to the role of the @HSELive in the matter of hundreds of Irish children treated at the discredited Tavistock clinic in London needs to be on the agenda of the incoming Irish government.”

Gript previously reported figures released to Independent TD Carol Nolan which revealed that between 2012 and 2022, 129 Irish children were referred to the dosgraced clinic.

The NHS announced in July 2022 that Tavistock – which facilitated ‘gender transition’ therapies for children – would be closed down, after an independent review by Dr. Hilary Cass found the clinic’s approach was unsafe, that it overlooked other mental health problems in children, failed to collect data on the safety of puberty blockers, and did not subject the treatments administered to children to normal quality controls.