Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I echo pretty much what Deputy Smith has said. We have not set gestational periods on any other recommendation relating to health and fatal foetal abnormalities, apart from the limit of up to 12 weeks.

Earlier, Senator Mullen spoke about a category of people. He said people with disabilities are a category of people and that we are looking to introduce abortion because they are a category of people. What he says is true: people with disabilities are a category of people. They also want access to bodily autonomy. People with disability need access.

We look at all the different situations. We have heard so many times that there are as many situations as there are pregnancies that end up in a given situation. Perhaps a woman is in a family where there are already children with disability. Perhaps she has several children or none. Perhaps she has no support or resources. Bringing a child that has a severe anomaly into the world can bring a major pressure on the family and a person's health. I believe that we need to remove the gestational limits in respect of severe or significant foetal abnormalities, as we have done with all the other health grounds.