Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 31 May 2023
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health
Report of the Review of the Operation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018: Discussion
Marie Sherlock (Labour) | Oireachtas source
My last question relates to the criminalisation of medical practitioners. We have this bizarre situation where those who are trying to implement the system of care have that spectre of criminal sanction hanging over them but those who obstruct or get in the way of providing care have, in Ms O'Shea's own words, acted with impunity. To be clear, do we not have legislation already that criminalises bad actors or medical practitioners acting in bad faith? I want to understand the sufficiency of our existing legislative framework with regard to the criminalisation of medical practitioners acting in bad faith. Ms O'Shea's recommendation is to remove the criminalisation of medical practitioners. Could she talk to us a little about those acting in bad faith and what is already in Irish legislation?
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