Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman for the opportunity to speak. Everybody here could agree that we hope the legislation will not be needed, but life is not that simple.

I want to put on the record that those who propose that this section be deleted are suggesting that the constitutional rights of women, as laid down by the Supreme Court and the will of the people, be left unvindicated. They are also suggesting that a suicidal woman who would kill herself as a result of her pregnancy would have two options: she would be forced by the State to go through with that pregnancy regardless of her suicidal state, or she would be forced by the State to go to the UK without the support of her clinician, medical team and family. If we delete this section as proposed by members of the committee, they are the two options we are presenting to women who will kill themselves because of a crisis pregnancy. Those who propose deleting the section should think long and hard about that, and take into account the fact that it is the constitutional right of a woman whose life is at risk by suicide to obtain a termination on that basis. That is what the X case was all about.