Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Ms McDermott for attending and telling her story, which is a heart-rending one. Our hearts go out to anybody in that kind of situation. On the degree to which non-directive counselling was available to the witness, this is something we have raised in this committee on numerous occasions. The witness attended an Irish hospital and she referred to directive counselling towards abortion rather than non-directive counselling which sought to help her out in the circumstances in which she found herself. We note and accept the points the witness makes about that. How many such instances does the witness know of? Ms McDermott referred to the fact that there have been countless similar cases with abortion as the solution. Does she recognise that there may be some women in cases of fatal foetal abnormality, for want of a description, who may not be able to deal with the eventual outcome and trauma? Some people have the gift of being able to stand up to a situation, as the witness did, even alone, as it were. Some may not. How does Ms McDermott see that and how does she feel about the fact that some women who are pregnant and maybe isolated and alone and who might not have any counselling except of a directive nature might fear the outcome? What advice would Ms McDermott give them?