Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will not use the term "conflicted information" but the difficulties Members of the Oireachtas have in trying to formulate legislation can be demonstrated by what they have heard today.

Notwithstanding the fact that the Government has decided to legislate for the X case, it is important that we hear the views on suicide because it is the issue that is causing most concern.

Most of what I was going to ask about has been clarified. However, I would like to seek clarification on the issue raised by Professor O'Keane concerning the British study on causes of maternal mortality. We have the statistic that it is one in 500,000. My understanding is that the maternal mortality rate in Britain is in the region of one in 6,500. Can Professor O'Keane clarify that because if it is a leading cause, what are the other causes? We should not give a wrong impression about it.

In her submission, Professor O'Keane mentioned that overall "a pregnant, compared to a non-pregnant, teenager in the US is more than twice as likely to die by suicide". She referenced a US study. While I know that we can all quote scripture, I also have information that shows that, by contrast, pregnancy has overall a protective effect against suicide, which also references a US study. Is the reference Professor O'Keane gave dealing strictly with teenagers? Is there a study that shows that overall pregnancy has a protective effect against suicide? That is quoted in another study in the United States.