John Crown (Independent) | Oireachtas source

In the legally ambiguous landscape of Irish abortion law, where our Constitution, as interpreted by our Supreme Court at least once and by our people five times in referendums, is in direct conflict with our Statute Book, we have heard testimony here in the January hearings that Irish doctors will perform abortions where the life of the mother is threatened and where the only safeguard for her life is a termination to the pregnancy. We have heard that there are approximately 30 such terminations per year. We have also heard evidence that suggests that suicidality is at most a vanishingly rare cause. It may never have occurred in Ireland, although there is some dispute about this. There is also some dispute as to whether it is ever necessary. However, in theory it could be. As I have said, we are legally prevented from excluding suicidality by two specific questions put to the people in referendums.

It is frequently being mentioned here that best medical evidence is not at the moment suggesting that suicidality is ever needed as a ground for termination. There has been some dispute about this and many have stated that it would occasionally be needed. However, this committee is not drawing up guidelines for medical practice - doctors do that. They live within those guidelines and practise according to the best evidence which is available. I would ask our various experts, especially the obstetricians here, to provide some research for those who somehow, for reasons I am not quite certain I understand, believe that the evidence base of medicine will change if this law is introduced, which allows for the theoretical possibility of suicidality as a necessity for abortion, to reassure these legislators that that in fact is not the case, and that doctors confronted with an individual patient will still have access to the best evidence base and will make the best decision for that patient who is in their charge at that time.

I cannot let this moment pass without paying tribute to Professor Desmond Carney, who is one of the fathers of Irish oncology. He is one of my role models in joining this specialty and he has probably saved the lives of more Irish women than nearly anybody else in this country. Thank you, Des, for all you have done for us.