Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 6 November 2018

Select Committee on Health

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage

11:00 am

Photo of Peter FitzpatrickPeter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister first put aside €12 million. Now it is €50 million, emergency intervention excluded. We have a funding crisis in our health service. As far as I am concerned, the Minister is scaring the public to use their money, which means that some of these abortions may not be urgent or necessary. Under the Minister's watch, we have record hospital waiting lists, the CervicalCheck scandal and the resignation of the head of the HSE. The people of Ireland did not intent to have elective abortions rather than emergency abortions funded out of the public purse. If commercial abortion clinics moved to Ireland, would the Irish people then be funding their abortion profits?

Amárach Research conducted a survey of 1,000 people in August 2018. Of that number, 59% opposed taxpayers funding abortions and 41% were in favour. Interestingly, 44% of "Yes" voters were opposed to taxpayers funding abortions. Please, Minister, stop scaring the public to use their money.

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