Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Professor O'Keane for her presentation. It is a very important topic that we do not talk much about. She made a comment about the women who are left behind and that got me thinking about the women who cannot travel or who cannot access abortion, who may be in the mental health system for whatever reason in terms of the severity of their condition. Without identifying women, in my career in addiction services I have watched women with dual diagnosis. I remember one woman who wanted to access abortion very early not being able to. She was seen as presenting with addiction not having a dual diagnosis. I remember her just giving up on that. When she did continue with the pregnancy, which she did not want, I watched her fight for a long time through the courts to try to hold on to that child so she was traumatised over and over again for her mental illness. She could not win in any way. Some people have the impression that when pregnancies continue the women are glad that they did and they go off and have normal, happy lives and everything is okay. Could Professor O'Keane comment on the effects on some of those women because of how we have treated people with mental health difficulties in this country? If one has a physical illness such as cancer nobody accuses one of not being able to look after one's children but if one has a mental illness people will assume one is not capable of caring for one's children. What kind of support is there for women in that situation? Without identifying individuals could she refer to some of those women who have found themselves in that situation?

When we looked at the risk to physical health the witnesses who came in were very clear that there is no one moment in time where one can identify, regulate or create legislation for the point at which one becomes a serious risk. Because we are making no distinction between mental and physical illness, does that same principle underpin mental health in the sense that there is no moment in time when one can say a person has gone from being a minor risk to a serious risk?