Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Professor O'Keane for attending and for her presentation, which cleared up many issues, particularly regarding the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act and its practical or impractical operation, whichever the case may be. There is an imposition on women. The fact that there is no register of those who applied and, dare I use the word, were unsuccessful in their applications is remiss of us because we cannot get a clear picture of how the legislation operates other than through the evidence that Professor O'Keane has given us, which is that the Act often leaves a woman in acute distress for up to two weeks while colleagues await a decision. That is most unfortunate, but it is welcome that this information is now in the public domain.

Professor O'Keane might address two points. First, it is clear from her opening statement but, in her opinion, are her pregnant patients who require psychiatric care more at risk of suffering physical ill health as a result of their mental ill health? The two are inextricably linked. Maybe Professor O'Keane might expand on that point.

Second is a point that we should probably be addressing in every session. There is an argument that, in the event of us making a change, be it large or small, to the level of access that Irish women have to abortion care, we will somehow be opening floodgates and there will be a dramatic increase. From Professor O'Keane's experience, will she give us an indication of what the likely implications will be in that regard?