Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegates for their presentations. My first question does not arise because I consider it to be in any way attached to the issues concerning women who do not want to continue their pregnancy. However, as it has been a recurring theme in recent weeks, I am interested in the delegates' views on it. We often hear that Ireland is one of the safest countries in the world in which to be pregnant and give birth. Will the witnesses indicate how safety is assessed in Irish maternity care and whether we measure maternal morbidity as well as mortality? To reiterate, I see this as a separate issue, but the delegates are probably the best people to address the matter so that we do not have to hear it every week.

In his presentation, Professor Malone said that the Rotunda Hospital provides 10,000 20-week to 24-week scans for foetal anomaly and noted that many hospitals do not have the resources for such scanning. If all pregnant women are not undergoing such scanning due to inadequate resources, what are the factors determining which women are offered it and which are not?

In regard to conscientious objection, reference was made to how this might become a problem in smaller hospitals. What role do the delegates see for integrated services, including a role for GPs, in the future provision of termination of pregnancy services? Apart from cases of foetal anomaly and in a scenario where we are looking at an earlier stage in pregnancy - say, up to 12 weeks - and cases where termination of pregnancy is being entered into willingly, might there be a role for GPs in the provision of medications? How do the witnesses envisage the handling of conscious disagreement or objection in cases where a patient might be facing waiting lists to access a different GP? What types of issues might arise in such circumstances?