Dr. Berry Kiely:

I wish to make one small point. Someone, I apologise for not remembering who, made the point that everyone is happy that all treatment can be given at present and consequently asked why we are afraid about legislation. It is highly interesting when one considers this point because if all one was going to put into legislation was what is the practice at present, such legislation would look very different to what is being proposed by the expert group. At present, an obstetrician who is treating a woman before him or her can make the decision that he or she thinks is best. Under this new proposed legislation, obstetricians will not be able to do that because they would be obliged to get the opinion of yet another obstetrician or another doctor.