Imelda Henry (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentations. We are here today as part of the legislative process and we will spend three days listening to medical and legal professionals and other groups putting across their viewpoints on a very complex issue. The wording of the legislation will be very important and I hope when we come to it that the wording will be correct and that the medical profession will have legal support when a decision to terminate a pregnancy must be made in the very rare circumstances it will arise. We must trust our doctors and medical professionals. We have heard from the masters of the big maternity hospitals in Dublin. We also have wonderful maternity hospitals throughout the country, in particular in the west of Ireland and I welcome Dr. Meabh Ní Bhuinneinn from Mayo General Hospital. I had a rare disease and I am very lucky to be alive. I do not think of Dr. Ní Bhuinneinn every day but I do so from time to time and I am very glad she stayed in the west of Ireland and is so involved in her profession. I do not have a question but I am disappointed we do not have somebody from the GP association before the committee, because sometimes a pregnant woman goes to her GP because she is troubled but will not go any further.