Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister made some very good points and the discussion has been a helpful one. I see a very clear logic in the 28 days. I see what the Minister is trying to do to give effect to the wishes of the population that abortion would be provided in circumstances of fatal foetal abnormality but not in cases of disability. The problem and the basis of our argument here is not the 28 days, which everyone agrees provides the clarity sought and is medically recognised as a neonatal period, it is that it is being provided for in legislation which includes a criminal sanction. The discussion we are having here is the best argument I have heard for the removal, as I recommended earlier, of all vestiges of that criminal sanction from this legislation. In that context, no one would have a problem with putting this forward in this way. As was said, there is good faith, 28 days is recognised and we all know what we are talking about, but if someone errs in good faith on either side of that, no one will put one in prison for 14 years.