Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

I thank Professor O'Keane for her presentation. Earlier, she said that people want a solution and that they know we need one. I agree with her, and we need a real solution that deals with the whole issue of abortion in this country. There are ten people who travel daily and the five who we know now are taking abortion pills in their own bedrooms, so that is 15 people a day. Today we are discussing mental health which is critical for all those people, and later we will discuss rape and fatal foetal abnormality, which probably accounts for about 6%, and is a small minority among the reasons people have abortions. The evidence this committee has heard over recent weeks has been resounding regarding the need for abortion legislation which deals with the reality of all those people, the 92% who fall under the abortion under 12 weeks, on request, which is just one recommendation of the Citizens' Assembly which could deal with this entire issue. It relates to a previous decision in private session not to delay or put back a decision to repeal the eight amendment.

I want to make a point on that because it is a cause for concern that if people who believe in repeal are not willing to make a decision on the matter now, it suggests that later in the process, they may only give their vote for repeal if it is based on conditions being attached. According to a report inThe Irish Times at the weekend, we learned that despite being told that every member of this committee has freedom of conscience to vote as they wish, party head offices will not allow abortion legislation which will deal with anything beyond rape and fatal foetal abnormality and possibly serious risk to health-----