Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

To put the matter in context, such late abortions are extremely rare. When we questioned Dr. Boylan at the committee, the figure was approximately 0.1%. The amendments vary in their wording, but, generally, the fear is the same. This relates to cases where a pregnant woman needs a late abortion. The fear is that there could be hesitation because in the legislation there is a reference to the point of viability. The point of viability changes with medical technology. The question is how much such technology should be employed. I do not have the answer to that question and do not know if anyone does, but essentially a migrant rape victim was refused an abortion for three years and ended up having to go through the trauma of an induced pregnancy. Serious concerns arise. The girl was suicidal. I know that this happened in the past, but it could happen again. I do not know what happened to the baby which survived, but I do know about the possible physical and mental difficulties. For example, approximately 25% of babies born at 23 weeks have massive problems. There is a real danger that if the law is left as it is, with a push towards viability, very sick people will have their treatment delayed. What will be the outcome of such action? Who will look after such a baby which might never have been born, except for massive intervention? We must find a definition of the point of viability. We must delete the current wording as it could potentially lead to very difficult cases.

I am guessing that this might have been introduced around the time of the referendum because of the outlandish pictures and claims made. I do not know what was shown in the pictures.

They purported to show late-term abortions at the extreme end of the spectrum. There was perhaps something of a rush to reassure the public that that would not happen. We must reiterate that these are life and death situations for the pregnant person. Nobody wants to see such situations, but they are sometimes necessary to safeguard the life and health of the woman. We should not allow ourselves to be emotionally blackmailed, rather we need to find an appropriate wording. There is a danger in that regard.