Dr. John Kennedy:

There is a proposed paragraph in the legislation to the effect that assisted human reproduction cannot be undertaken if it will have a seriously detrimental effect on the woman's health. That is very prescriptive. As a clinician, one works with patients and informs and advises them of the risks. The safest thing all in vitrofertilisation, IVF, clinics could do is bar their doors closed. Nobody needs IVF treatment. It is not oncology or cancer treatment. However, the trauma and hardship suffered by these couples in their desire to have a family is what we are about in our work. All treatment has risk attached to it. With respect to a woman who has associated risks, Dr. Wingfield mentioned cystic fibrosis earlier and in the past we could not have let a woman with such a condition get pregnant. Their risk of dying would have been astronomically high. However, with advances in medical treatment, one is mindful there is a risk associated with this treatment, it might have an impact on the woman's lifespan, on their lungs or kidneys if they have kidney issues. There are many conditions in this respect. One would work with the patient and the medical community at large and one would take a multidisciplinary approach and give recommendations. Ultimately, and this is an opinion, not a fact, I try to be non-paternalistic. I give the best advice I can and then the patient feeds back to me. Of course, there are limitations to that. If somebody comes into me and says "I want four embryos transferred into my uterus", I am absolutely not going to do that ever. I am not going to put three back in at this point. However, if at the end of my consultation process with that patient, she still says "I want four embryos put back in", that probably represents a failure on my part. One has to work with people, with one's colleagues and with multidisciplinary teams to make sure that the treatment one is providing is both safe and efficacious. I believe, in the main, that is already happening in Ireland. I do not know if there is a huge need for legislation. I do not believe so, my colleagues may differ but I do not know if they will. I do not believe women's lives are being put at risk through the provision of assisted human reproduction in Ireland at present.