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

I thank Mr. Thompson for appearing before the committee and for his evidence. We are very interested in hearing the facts on this committee and Mr. Thompson has outlined them comprehensively. If my math is correct, according to the statistics Mr. Thompson gave us, 55% of terminations under clause E, which represents a very small number - about 1.7% - are performed between 13 and 19 weeks. That is the majority. Will Mr. Thompson outline whether there are follow-up scans? Deputy Kelleher and I share concerns about the availability of scanning equipment and access to scans for Irish women. We are told by management in the HSE that 20-week anomaly scans in many cases are offered where they are clinically indicated. Is there anything that would give a clinical indication? My understanding is these anomaly scans are screening scans and there will not be any form of clinical indication. If there is some form of clinical indication, and Mr. Thompson is the expert in this regard, he might share it with us.

Could Mr. Thompson define what constitutes the neonatal period? He referenced this in his submission. Is it in terms of development or weeks? We are fully cognisant of the issues Mr. Thompson has outlined in the context of making lists and how prescriptive and unhelpful it might be to clinicians but we are equally charged with considering recommendations from the Citizens' Assembly. Mr. Thompson is aware of those recommendations. Some relate to conditions resulting in death before or shortly after birth. Whether it is a good or bad idea is really a matter for the citizens because that is what has been given to us. We have to consider that and we have to contemplate what recommendations we will make and how they will translate into the medical community. I fear that as we are sitting here trying to come up with the report, there are doctors and clinicians watching proceedings at home, tearing their hair out and shouting at the screen that this will not work for them in practice. We want to be respectful and mindful of the recommendations of the Citizens' Assembly but we equally have to come up with something that is fit for purpose and which translates into medical practice for people. Perhaps Mr. Thompson will give us the benefit of his experience in grappling with that particular dilemma.