Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 25 October 2017

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution

Termination Arising From Rape: Mr. Tom O'Malley, NUI Galway; Dublin Rape Crisis Centre; and Dr. Maeve Eogan, Rotunda Hospital

1:30 pm

Mr. Tom O'Malley:

That would certainly be an issue. Under the Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012, where a doctor, teacher or whoever becomes aware of a possible sexual offence against a child, there is a mandatory reporting requirement. That is something else that would have to be addressed in these circumstances; in other words, as part of the overall package of reform that would be considered in the event that rape or sexual abuse is accepted as a ground for abortion. It would be a complicated issue to go into now. I do not have the legislation in front of me and, therefore, I could not give a much more-----

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