Dr. Sam Coulter-Smith:

I do not have anything further to add to Dr. Mahony's comments directed at Deputy Mathews. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked what is a real and substantial risk to the life of the mother, which is very difficult to identify. We should leave that up to our very competent doctors in obstetrics and gynaecology, oncology and cardiology and any other specialty dealing with very sick patients. We have a very high standard of medicine in this country and it is appropriate to put legislation in place to protect our doctors and let them do what they do best in treating women and all patients to the very best of their ability. We do not need to be prescriptive on those lines.

We were asked if an obstetrician would overrule a psychiatrist. We do not have the expertise and experience in the psychiatric area to overrule a psychiatrist, so I cannot see that happening. However, we do have conscientious objection to protect us in that regard.

We were given several scenarios and asked if we would perform a termination of pregnancy in such circumstances. It is very important to stress that the only position in which a pregnancy would be brought to a conclusion in this country as covered in the legislation would be if the woman's life is at risk and she will die if nothing is done. That is the important point that we are all here to stress. We are all here to look after women and babies. In a scenario in which the baby will die and we can save the mother's life, we need the freedom and protection to be able to act.

Reference was made to the safety of Irish health services, and this was also alluded to this morning.

Yes, our results are excellent and remarkable. I stressed earlier that this was down to the skill and dedication of our midwives and the excellent doctors who work from facilities that are absolutely not fit for purpose any longer. To tell the committee about the Rotunda Hospital, we have nine delivery rooms when we should have 16. Our public postnatal wards were built in 1757. The infection control risks we face on a day-to-day basis are ridiculous. It is absolutely crazy in this day and age that we are providing modern-day obstetric services out of a building which is no longer fit for purpose, but the results are fantastic. That is down to the staff.

When we are talking about saving mothers' lives, we should not use the terms "abortion" and "saving mothers' lives" in the same sentence, full stop. It is a dreadful reflection on anyone who would actually do that. This is about saving mothers' lives, preserving dignity and not stigmatising anybody. These are wanted pregnancies, loved pregnancies, and intervention has to be made to save the mother's life. To call it an abortion is wrong.