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

This area is fraught and I understand what people have said and I accept their concerns. It is, as people have pointed out, the only place where we actually refer to intentionally destroying unborn human life. That phrase is not used anywhere else in this Bill. The issue of avoidance of doubt was to not have any chilling effect from the point of view of doctors, which Deputy Boyd Barrett said. However, as Deputy McNamara said, it could be construed as giving free rein to intentionally destroy unborn human life. I have to take the legal advice available to me and I know that if section 22(4) was not there, section 22(1), from the Attorney General's point of view, does not present a difficulty. I think the best thing to do, given the concern expressed here and elsewhere about this section, is that the Minister of State, Deputy White, and I would return on Report Stage with a possible amendment or solution to section 22(4).