Eamonn Maloney (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses, as others have done, and thank them for their contributions. I have long held the view that the relationship between all of us and our doctors is very special, and I think most people would hold that view. The relationship between a pregnant woman and her doctor is unique, based on care, trust and so on. I have always been uncomfortable with the idea of legislators - that is, people like myself - interfering in that relationship between a woman and her doctor in pregnancy and childbirth.

To use that awful phrase, "We are where we are." We are dealing with a Bill which is extremely restrictive and deals with only one item - namely, pregnant women whose lives are at risk by suicide. We are not dealing with women who are raped and conceive; I wish we were. We are not dealing with fatal foetal abnormalities. If we were brave enough as legislators we would be, but we are not.

We have to try to be honest about pregnancy and the law. It is the height of hypocrisy that the law of our land allows for information to be given to women who wish to avail of abortion. It goes even further, allowing free travel if one wants to have an abortion. However, when it comes to a very restrictive piece of legislation to show some care towards what have been described as rare cases, we wrestle with ourselves about doing so. We have to get to a stage where we as legislators will introduce legislation that will not even be availed of.