John Crown (Independent) | Oireachtas source

One second, Chairman. I have not interrupted anybody today and I have tried to stay within my time, so just hear me out.

My understanding is that in the great majority of cases there will be warning, so the scenario of this type of occurrence occurring in one of the smaller hospitals is very unlikely because the hospitals will generally refer the patients to one of the larger, specialist units at an earlier stage in their pregnancy where they will be cared for by the high risk people. In those rare cases where it will occur in the smaller hospitals, it will be category one or the emergency. It is the one where the patient is either bleeding or dying of abnormal blood pressure, the doctor cannot consult, there are no psychiatrists and the patient is not suicidal. The doctor sees a woman whose life will drain from her body in the next few hours if they do not end the pregnancy, something which is very rare. That is my understanding of the only cases the witnesses will see. Is that the case? Should anybody have a right to conscientious objection in that setting? If they do, they should not be in that job.