Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Performances aside, I want to address the Minister's last contribution and his reference to the Irish Medical Council's guidelines. I listened carefully to what he said but, in terms of reporting, he did not find a compulsion or direction in the guidelines. It is easy to be sympathetic to the GPs who do not report in the type of scenario I painted, but what if the young woman had not accessed abortion tablets on the Internet? What if she presented in a back-street situation? We are putting a further onus on the GP to decide what should or should not be reported, being mindful of the potential consequences for the patient. Deputy Healy and I have earnestly tried to find a formula to address this issue. I am aware it is not perfect or that it might allow for a different understanding of the situation. While it does not remove the point of guilt - that is, it does not actually state the woman is not guilty of a specific offence in terms of constitutional requirements - it avoids the application of penalties in her case. It is clear that we will be unable to arrive at a best place through this discussion but it underlines the need to do so at some point in the future.