Professor Sabaratnam Arulkumaran:

On the first question of whether there has been any prosecution in the Republic of Ireland similar to in the North, I would not know. I have not heard about any.

The Deputy's second question was about the limits of gestation for terminations, based on the outcome from the Citizens' Assembly. The records in the UK say that nearly 90% of terminations are done under 12 weeks. That would cover a vast number of them.

With regard to the third question posed, there are special circumstances where the mother may have an illness and if it were to escalate there could be organ damage. There might be some special provision given and taken. The Citizens' Assembly vote, in terms of percentages, reflects those dilemmas in some way. We must take everything into consideration. If it is just on request or for social reasons or otherwise, then it might be 12 weeks and that would cover 90%. There must, however, be a provision to have a later termination for those who have illnesses or conditions that can escalate.