James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 83:

In page 16, to delete lines 3 to 5 and substitute the following:“(b) whether the medical procedure was carried out in respect of the pregnant woman pursuant to a section 7 certification, section 8 certification (whether made before or after the medical procedure was carried out) or section 9 certification and the Medical Council registration number attached to the registration of each of the medical practitioners who made the certification concerned;”.

Further to the amendments I have already proposed which will, if accepted, provide further information to be provided as part of the report on the operation of this Bill, I also propose making amendments Nos. 83 to 86, inclusive. This Bill has included provisions for notifications since its inception. However, on further analysis it was decided to specify all the information to be provided for the purpose of notification in the Bill. This is to maximise transparency in the operation of the Bill by enshrining principles and policies in primary legislation rather than providing for it in secondary legislation when it is not necessary to do so.

The intention of these additions to the Bill is to provide the maximum information on procedures being carried out under the terms of the Bill, thus enabling the Government to monitor its functioning while at the same time protecting the identities of relevant practitioners in the same way as we have provided for the women concerned. I urge people to accept these amendments. It is always preferable, and I hope members will agree, that as much as possible it is enshrined in primary legislation to give the Oireachtas absolute say over any changes, as opposed to through regulations, although I have given a commitment that any changes in regulations will always be laid before the Dáil. I commend the amendments to the committee.