Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Much divides Members in the Houses, but much also joins them together. We all agree that mothers need more supports to help them to make the right choices for themselves and their children.

This morning, Dr. Holohan stated - I hope that I am citing him correctly - that this Bill was a significant change from the status quo. There is no precedent for the treatment for suicidality to involve the damaging or ending or the life of another human being. Will the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists comment on this issue?

Someone might correct me if I am wrong, but Dr. Holohan made another comment. Currently, if a woman has suicidal ideation and the unborn child is viable, an intervention may occur in which the child is brought to term prematurely. Is this the witnesses' experience? What are the typical outcomes for the children?

Regarding the issue of predicting the number of people who will need these services, this legislation is another change in the status quo. Currently, decisions are based on objective medical markers. If I am correct, the Bill will introduce subjective markers, which are scientifically more difficult to base predictions on. The actual number of suicides predicted by psychiatrists is low.