Professor Sabaratnam Arulkumaran:

The Senator is asking whether the eighth amendment is workable in 2017. Given the explanations as to how the system is working in the context of the amendment, where superficially everything is working, but underneath it is not working, then if it were working why should 4,800 women travel to another country to procure an abortion? In my view, things will have to change. I do not think the eighth amendment as it stands is good for the women in Ireland.