Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

I understand and, indeed, respect the position that the Minister and Minister of State have put forward. However, I do not accept it. Other members have indicated that a previous Attorney General took a completely different view and invited the European court to take that view. Indeed, other eminent legal persons currently are of the view that, in the case of fatal foetal abnormality, it would be within the terms of the Constitution.

We also must be conscious of the issue raised by Deputies Regina Doherty and Ciara Conway. I understand the issue they raised and their bona fides in this regard. Both asked what would be the position in the future with regard to both fatal foetal abnormality and inevitable miscarriage. Of course, the Taoiseach answered that question for us during his contribution in the Chamber yesterday when he stated that this would be the final piece of legislation in respect of this issue. There is no medium-term solution to this problem unless it is solved in this legislation.

On inevitable miscarriage, I repeat that it is difficult to understand or believe that, having gone through the difficulties and tragedy of the case of the late Ms Savita Halappanavar, we still find that, effectively, this legislation does not deal with such situations and that, had this Bill been passed at the time, it would not have applied in her case or similar cases. It would appear that unless we deal with it now, the position will remain that medical conditions due to pregnancy that are not in themselves life-threatening - for example, miscarriage - must be allowed to become life-threatening before action can be taken. That position is not acceptable to me and I do not think it is acceptable to the vast majority in this country.