Dr. Anne Jeffers:

Deputy Kelleher spoke about the role of the panels. We stated in our submission that we feel nothing in this legislation should subvert the usual pathway to care. We would expect that a woman who finds she has a crisis pregnancy would go to crisis pregnancy counselling services but that we would see anybody who needs input from a specialist psychiatric service. We suggested in our submission that if it is a case in which, perhaps due to conscientious objection, there is no psychiatrist to see the woman, she would be referred to a panel set up by the HSE.

In respect of women who travel, it is very clear, and we have the figures to show, that at least 4,000 Irish women are having abortions in the UK every year. We presume the vast majority of these women are mentally and physically very healthy. They have nothing to do with psychiatry and psychiatrists have nothing to do with them. My concern is for the vulnerable women who may have a crisis and may travel for an abortion and it may not be the right thing for them. We do not have a culture or environment in Ireland in which the woman feels she can discuss that and talk openly about it. The other woman is the one who travels for an abortion and believes that the only alternative to that abortion would be to kill herself. We need to ask what kind of a State we are that we would allow a woman to travel in that state. If this legislation can do something about that, it is to be welcomed.

My colleagues mentioned resources. For community mental health teams and particularly social workers, every community mental health team in the country should have the full multidisciplinary team.

In respect of the requirement for three doctors, we generally feel as psychiatrists that we are the ones with the expertise in managing suicide risk. There has been much talk about predicting suicide risk, but when anybody who is suicidal comes to us, it is our job to assess what is going on for them. What are the factors and what is happening that leads them to believe that killing themselves would be a thing to do? We engage with them - not just the psychiatrist but every member of the team - in finding a way to ensure we can keep that person safe. That is what we do as psychiatrists. We do it every day and we know how to do that well.

In respect of the timeframe, the decision should never be rushed, but a psychiatric assessment does not need to take days. For many of these women we would be talking about two or three hours for the assessment, but one can do a second or third one within a few days, so the important thing is that the woman is not left in distress.

In respect of the degree to which we can predict the risk of suicide, as I have emphasised, what is most important is that anybody who is suicidal feels able to access the service and talk openly about their concerns and fears. I think I have covered most things.