Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their detailed and constructive submissions. Professor Murphy of the Irish Medical Council spoke about a proposed amendment to head 4, an issue I mentioned this morning. He suggests two psychiatrists should sign off and then consult the obstetrician, whereas the head proposes that the three sign off. He obviously has very strong views on the matter and I know some obstetricians have questions about signing off on a psychiatric issue. I ask the professor to clarify this.

The Irish Medical Council's submission refers to the need for access to legal support. I ask Professor Murphy to expand on this, in particular the legal support provided for an expectant mother under 18 years.

I understand there are 236 names on the obstetrics-gynaecology specialist register. How many practising consultants are there in the 19 hospitals? Some 12 maternity units have only three obstetricians-gynaecologists practising in them. Particularly at weekends, do these units need more structured support from the bigger units than they already receive?