Dr. Suzanne Crowe:

I will take the conscientious objection issue. The Medical Council was established very much to protect the interests of the public in its interaction with registered medical practitioners. That is what I mean by the patient's voice coming first and the doctor's voice second. The current provision as regards conscientious objection in the ethical guide covers all lawful treatments in this State and it is not specific to abortion provision. It covers any treatment that a doctor holds ethical or moral concerns about and does not want to be involved with providing. For example, this might include any services relating to reproduction such as vasectomy, which was raised earlier. It also includes assisted reproduction and other lawful treatments. It is not anticipated that this will change and it is important that it remains in the ethical guide to cover a multitude of treatments available in the country. If there is an issue with how the conscientious objection is being delivered or interpreted by individual practitioners and that concern comes before the Medical Council, it will be managed in the usual way that any complaint is managed in front of the council. That will be of a confidential and individual nature.

The Senator raised the matter of allied professionals working in hospitals such as nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists, etc. Other professionals have their own professional bodies and I imagine they will also produce ethical guidance.