Professor Veronica O'Keane:

We have addressed the floodgates phenomenon and I do not want to repeat it but my view is that whatever happens in Ireland must be determined by reality. Effectively, what is happening in Ireland is that Irish women who are suicidal are travelling to the UK and they are availing of the private health services there. I do not know whether that will change because of the introduction of this legislation. Professionals will operate within the limits of the legislation. If the limits of the legislation say that it is only in extreme and rare circumstances where the substantial risk to the life of the mother can only be averted by a termination, that is the law we work within but obviously the need is there. Women are travelling to the UK and are having terminations there, and the majority of them are having those terminations for mental health reasons. That is not to forget about the tragic group of women who have hugely wanted pregnancies and who, shamefully, are going to the UK to have terminations. We are not including that group of women. It is not the case that everybody who goes to the UK has an unwanted pregnancy.

The point made by Deputy Doherty is extremely valid, and we have lost sight of this in the sense that what has promoted the entire debate is the X case. That was something that could happen to any 14 year old child or any teenager in this country. Currently, these people are travelling to the UK. We are effectively using their services and I do not believe there is a will on the part of the Irish people to take away the choice we have as citizens to travel to the UK. We voted on that as a country and we said we wanted to have that right and therefore that is effectively part of the services women are using.