Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have not discussed it.

Amendments Nos. 170 to 172, inclusive, are in my name. I will discuss them together because they are all about the same issue. One was ruled out of order but the others relate to the same issue.

I will discuss the technical amendment first, which is amendment No. 170. Essentially, this section makes termination of pregnancy services free and they would be provided through the HSE. One of the subsections states that the services referred to shall be provided otherwise than as inpatient services. This might be relatively simple, but as I read it a concern arose for me. The preceding paragraph states that the HSE shall make available without charge medical surgical and midwifery services for the purposes of termination of pregnancy in accordance with sections 10 to 13, inclusive. The paragraph goes on to state that those services should be provided otherwise than as inpatient services. I may be wrong but my concern is that for an outpatient or a patient in a general practice the services would be free but once the woman moves to being an inpatient the services would no longer be free. I wish to clarify whether I am correct in thinking that. I believe the services should be free regardless of whether a woman is an inpatient or an outpatient. Can the Minister give some clarity on that?