Kate O'Connell (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegates very much for taking the time to come and see us. I have read a little about Professor Pras recently. I would like him to elaborate on the issue of access to free, safe and legal abortion. His statement refers to access to abortion "at the very least in cases of risk to their life or health, including mental health, rape, incest and fatal impairment of the foetus during the first trimester and later." Has he done any work on or does he have recommendations or thoughts on how one could tick the boxes for women who have been raped? While it might sound easy to allow abortion in a case of rape or incest, I have always asked whether a woman has to go to her police station to report it? Who fills in the form? What man, or woman, for that matter, will tick the box stating the woman deserves an abortion because she ticks the rape or incest box? How is it implementable practically?

In his submission Professor Pras uses the phrase "abandon outdated concepts and power asymmetries". Perhaps he might elaborate on it briefly. Is he saying we over-rely on medications with regard to mental health in general? Is it a funding issue? We have discussed this at some meetings of health committees, although I am not sure about this one. Six months of cognitive behavioural therapy in Ireland costs far more than a dosage of antidepressant tablets lasting six months. Is this what Professor Pras is getting at or am I misinterpreting him? Is he saying we need to change our approach to mental health? Rather than prescribing a tablet for everything, would other methods be as or more effective? Leaving the money element out of it, would there possibly be better outcomes? Perhaps Professor Pras might elaborate on the issue.