Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Chairperson, I was a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children and I recall the witnesses attending committee meetings. They repeatedly asked for money and stated how they could not keep the system going. Money is very tight at the moment but there are many good people and charities that want to help people with a disability live their full term of life.

I asked a question yesterday and will do so again today. I do not believe in abortion and believe there should be as many alternatives as possible. I seek a positive outlook. It is important that we support mothers and their unborn children. There are families in my area who want to adopt children but the current adoption system has made it almost impossible. What is the Department of Health and the HSE doing to speed up the adoption process? What are they doing to inform the public about adoption? Contraceptives and everything else are ways to end a baby's life. To me, adoption is an ideal alternative to abortion.