John Crown (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests. I will repeat my question of this morning. When we questioned our colleagues from the maternity hospitals, it appeared that there are probably 30 abortions per year at present carried out where there are unambiguous grounds based on a risk to the life, rather than the health, of the mother. The consensus among our colleagues was that no cases have been missed. They believe that no maternal deaths occurred because of a reluctance to perform medically required abortions because of religious or ethical scruples on the part of a doctor. It has not happened. It is believed none of the abortions was due to the threat of suicide. It is likely, barring some unbelievably epidemiological mischance, that we are legislating for approximately 30 medically necessary abortions per year to save the life of the mother. It is extremely likely that nearly none of these would be carried out on the grounds of a threat of suicide. Therefore, one must ask why this particular aspect of the proposed legislation is exciting such extraordinary interest. There are two possible explanations, one of which is that it is believed there will be a major increase in the number of abortions that are not bona fide on the grounds of there being a real threat to the life of the mother.

If this is not the case, is there a suggestion that suicidality would be feigned? Many people have denied they believe there will be feigned suicidality but there is a gap in the logic somewhere. If it is not a case of feigned suicidality, what is the mechanism by which there would be a great increase in the number of illegitimate abortions that are not necessary on medical grounds?