Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Friday, 17 May 2013

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children

Heads of Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill 2013: Public Hearings

1:25 pm

Photo of Billy TimminsBilly Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to make a couple of brief points. Everyone present would support any measure that could provide clarity regarding the protection of the life of the mother, particularly the physical aspect. In terms of head 2 and setting aside head 4, however, where is the clarity in the Bill? Where is clarity lacking currently? Pages 7 and 11 read: "Due to the unpredictability and complexity of these rare medical cases it was felt not desirable to provide in legislation for a specific referral pathway." As is currently the case, it will be left to the medical practitioner, which was pointed out by Senator Crown. Time and again, I have heard the Government state that this Bill will improve clarity and protect the life of the mother, but in what respect will clarity improve?

Regarding the Irish Medical Council's guidelines, Professor Murphy mentioned that they reflect the current legal practice. Between 1992 and 2009, the guidelines were different, in that they maintained that the carrying out of an abortion was medical malpractice. This only changed 17 years after the X case. I may be wrong, but the guidelines changed in 2009 following the 2007 legislation, which put a majority of lay people on the council as opposed to medical people. How did the council operate between 1992 and 2009?

I have a brief question for the Irish College of General Practitioners and the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Were they required to nominate people to the expert group or did they have members on that group?

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