Dr. Yolande Ferguson:

To clarify for Senator Bacik, I do not mean a woman should be seen by three different doctors. The whole thrust of my opening statement was that it is not acceptable to put a woman through that. Professor O'Keane has highlighted that it is traumatic to tell one's story again and again. The Senator's other question was, if there is no GP, then what? Again, that pathway of care is different. One might see this happening a little more in the case of child and adolescent psychiatrists, where one might get referrals from school counsellors, for instance. In that case, the second doctor could be a psychiatrist or a GP because that girl should have a GP. If she did not have one before, she certainly should have one afterwards.

On Deputy Naughten's concerns about the obstetrician not being involved, I do not think any of us is suggesting the obstetrician is not involved at all. We simply are saying that when making a decision as regards to suicidal ideation, their role is a consultative one. While Deputy Dowds addressed his question to Professor O'Keane, it is really important to highlight something I mentioned in my submission at the outset, which is that as much as possible, we should follow normal pathways of care. This process should be best medical practice and best medical practice means following normal pathways of care. This means the woman is eligible for all treatments that are available to anyone who is in any situation in which he or she meets a psychiatrist.

Finally, in response to Senator Walsh, when I think of the United States, I do not think of it as a liberal abortion state but as somewhere that has very mixed and certainly very divided attitudes towards abortion. The Senator again talks about - I will not even repeat the word because my colleagues have referred to it - how psychiatrists somehow would facilitate an increase or allow an entryway into abortion on demand, which is another dreadful expression. I am a psychiatrist and I have spoken previously about how proud I am of my profession and how important it is to me that psychiatry is regarded with the same esteem as any other medical profession. This morning, Dr. Anthony McCarthy mentioned Ireland's sad history with women and pregnancy, both with the Magdalen laundries and, sadly, psychiatric institutions. None of us wishes to see a return to those days. None of us wishes to see our profession discredited.