Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have a question for Dr. Fletcher. In regard to head 1, when does she believe a life becomes human and when does it acquire human rights? What rights does life acquire?

I refer to the panel and medical ethics. There are many genuine concerns in this Chamber and in the Oireachtas as we look around at other jurisdictions and as we see what has happened in the United Kingdom, where medical practitioners have flouted the law with some regularity by providing pre-signed abortion consent forms. From a medical ethics point of view should the proposed law be cognisant of the very real possibility that abortion safeguards will be flouted, especially by those who consider that such safeguards unfairly limit the expression of abortion rights?

I refer to head 12 which deals with the rights of conscience and conscientious objection. There was mention of the patient, and of doctors and midwives having a conscientious objection. Do institutions have a right to a conscientious objection, as endorsed by the Council of Europe? Is it the witnesses' opinion that point 3 in head 12 should be removed from the Bill or should it stay?