Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the two individuals who have appeared before the committee today. I was very impressed by their engagement with the committee. When people have different views it is important that they are treated with respect. Senator Crown touched on one of the key points in the debate, which is the issue of when personhood begins. In other words, when does a human being achieve human rights? Dr. Brady said there was a distinction between the unborn and the born with regard to those human rights. Many people in this State would have the view that one's right to life should not be dependent on whether one has a disability or a fatal illness. In Dr. Brady's view, what area of the Constitution allows for a different treatment of those specific issues as between unborn children and born children?