Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for being here this morning. I hear Dr. Mahony loud and clear when she asks to be allowed to do her job and be protected as well. I have five children and have had my own misfortunes in having miscarriages. It is very difficult after the great joy of learning that one is pregnant when things do not go as one would like. That happens. What happens in such circumstances is the honesty and trust in one's general practitioner or the doctor in the maternity hospital. It is important for us all to hear that clarified again this morning because life is so important.

I want to refer to a point I raised with the Medical Council about paragraph 21.4 of its submission, which states: "Due to extreme immaturity of the baby, there may be little or no hope of the baby surviving. In these exceptional circumstances, it may be necessary to intervene to terminate the pregnancy to protect the life of the mother, while making every effort to preserve the life of the baby". Dr. Mahony has said that herself. I and my colleagues have received many e-mails and letters from people who have had to leave the country to have terminations, many due to the "extreme immaturity of the baby" and had to bring the dead baby back in a box in the boot of the car or have it cremated abroad and bring home the ashes. That has a devastating impact on people's lives. Does the quote I have read not mean that we should not be sending those people away when the doctors know as professionals that the baby is not going to live after birth? Dr. Mahony can correct me if I am wrong. Can we not help these people? Many young and older women experience these difficulties. Many of the e-mails and letters that I have received tell harrowing stories of people who had to go away when doctors in hospitals here told them that their babies would not live. Will Dr. Mahony clarify that point?