Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will pose questions rather than expressing opinions. In the context of an interruption to a pregnancy, a termination or an abortion - whichever terminology one wants to use - is there, or will there be, an obligation under this legislation, coupled with Article 40.3.3o of the Constitution, to vindicate the life of the unborn at whatever stage? In other words, if there is an interruption to a pregnancy for emergency medical reasons, non-emergency medical reasons or in the context of assessment for self-destruction, is there always an obligation on the medical practitioners who will be carrying out that termination to make every effort to deliver the child alive and make every effort thereafter to sustain the child's life? I would like to get clarity on that matter.

In the context of the panel for assessment for self-destruction or suicide - the words sound very callous at times - we will have an obstetrician and two psychiatrists. I want to get a flavour of how Dr. Holohan would see this particular panel working. Will this just be a panel that will make the assessment and adjudication as to whether the woman's life is at serious risk because she is pregnant, or will there be a patient-professional relationship with the psychiatrists and obstetrician when they are assessing the woman for that? In other words, do they just decide to assess her, make their decision and move on, or is there a type of patient-professional relationship on the panels themselves?

Head 11 concerns reporting to the Minister. We do not expect all that information to be made public, including names, addresses, hospital locations and the professionals who carry it out, but will there be an overarching reporting process that will be available to the public concerning the number of terminations, in broad outline?