Ms Maeve Taylor:

Briefly, I believe it would be very useful for the committee to hear also from foetal medicine specialists, GPs and perhaps the GPs in the Southern Task-Force on Abortion and Reproductive Topics, Start, doctors group. There are particular issues that are faced by GPs in smaller communities, GPs who live closer to their practices and small practices. There is a range of issues where the criminal law might be more burdensome and where the reasons for non-provision would be different for them rather than for an organisation such as the IFPA.

There is a final point regarding the gestational limit. Internationally, as Ms Spillane mentioned, in many countries there are specific socioeconomic grounds. We do not think it is right that women should have to present socioeconomic grounds. It is a very good thing that in current Irish law women do not have to justify their decisions. However, there are issues that arise during the first trimester. Women's lives and circumstances can change. People lose jobs, relationships fail, family circumstances change, there are different caring responsibilities or opportunities arise. There are many reasons a pregnancy can become a crisis during 12 weeks. A woman is then over 12 weeks with a crisis pregnancy, and that crisis has been growing.

We know, for example, from evidence during Covid of situations of people living in violent relationships. There are pressures on families, including the current pressures involving inflation and other economic issues. There are lots of pressures that can come to bear during a pregnancy and then for women to find themselves excluded by a rigid gestation period is simply unfair.