Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their forthright and helpful information. Can we get some more specifics about the cases that Professor McAuliffe had to refer to Britain as a result of the lack of legal clarity in the Republic of Ireland? What are the circumstances surrounding them? This could be helpful when we are framing the legislation because information could help us to narrow down and define the problem we must address.

In helping us frame legislation, would the witnesses propose that time, support and intervention would be useful to a pregnant woman who believes she is at risk of suicide before a termination is provided? Would that be helpful? I am aware a lot of time is spent running around to get various things signed off before a termination but we should also think of the mother who is feeling suicidal and who believes she is suicidal. Bearing in mind all of the psychiatric evidence that abortion is not the way to treat to suicide, and given the job we must do to frame the legislation, what type of time, support and intervention would be helpful?