Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for appearing before us. Dr. Boylan stated that doctors were currently in a position of having to interpret the Constitution. From his experience, even if it is just anecdotally if he does not have figures, does that happen on a weekly or monthly basis?

I take it that the best outcome for clinicians is that abortion be allowed purely on medical grounds between a doctor and a patient. Is that correct? Perhaps the other witnesses might wish to address that point. Is that the best outcome from a clinical point of view?

Dr. Boylan stated that he could not imagine any doctor in Ireland contemplating performing an abortion after 23 weeks. Will he expand on that? It is an important point for this committee.

Dr. Ní Bhuinneáin works in a level 3 hospital. In the event that abortion becomes available in Ireland, would it require centres of excellence? Would regional hospitals be equipped to perform these procedures? How would she envisage conscientious objection working in a smaller hospital as opposed to an acute one?