Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

You are all welcome to the meeting. Yesterday, the committee was informed by representatives of the Bar Council that they would not be attending today. Therefore, I propose to reduce the length of the session, since we have only one group in attendance, to ten minutes for opening statements, 50 minutes for questions, comprised of 35 minutes for members of the committee and 15 minutes for non-members, followed by a final five minute statement by the witnesses. This will bring the session to an end at 12.50 p.m. and we will adjourn until 2.45 p.m. Is that agreed? Agreed.

This is the fifth session in a series of hearings that the joint committee is conducting over three days to discuss the implementation of the Government decision following the recent publication of the expert group report into matters relating to A, B and C v. Ireland. Yesterday we began our hearing primarily on medical issues and the concerns of medical practitioners. Each of the four sessions was constructive and there was positive engagement between members and witnesses which yielded an interesting and significant debate.

At the commencement of today's session I reiterate that the purpose of the meeting is to discuss the implementation of the Government decision following the recent publication of the expert group report into matters relating to A, B and C v. Ireland by way of legislation and regulation within the parameters of our current constitutional provisions. The Government has stated that its aim is to ensure clarity and legal certainty in the process for determination of whether a termination of pregnancy is permissible in cases where there is a real and substantial risk to the life, as opposed to the health, of a woman as a result of a pregnancy. In doing so we must ensure that we take full account of Article 40.3.3° of the Constitution.

I welcome Ms Jennifer Schweppe from the University of Limerick, Ms Ciara Staunton from NUI Galway and Mr. Simon Mills from the Law Library.