Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The way Dr. Conlon described that, I may as well be speaking to one of my constituents. I had the experience of a woman in my area who came to me very distressed about this.

My next question is on criminalisation. We have talked about that and how it acts as a chill factor for medical practitioners making decisions. It really is a chill factor when it is considered that criminalisation is a 14-year sentence. The report also shows that it can stigmatise women and make them feel that wanting an abortion is somehow immoral and abhorrent as an act in their life. I will ask this again. Why did Ms O'Shea fall short of recommending full decriminalisation?