Dr. Rhona Mahony:

That is really good point. The first thing I would say to any young woman, no matter what has happened and if she has taken these tablets, is bleeding and in trouble, is to go hospital and have appropriate care. We are not going to prosecute her. Our primary objective as doctors in a hospital is to keep her safe and provide good clinical care. That is an important message to send out to all young women.

I agree with the Deputy that I worry about vulnerable young women who find themselves in such circumstances and have resource to the Internet to obtain tablets that will induce a termination of pregnancy. Apart from the fact that one does not know what one is taking when one gets tablets over the Internet, which is a very important public health message because people get all kinds of tablets over the Internet, on top of that, there is not the support for women to navigate those circumstances. I think particularly of children and young women who are making these decisions on their own and the psychological impact such decisions might have on them. It is important that, when required, women, access health services. We are in business of providing safe health care for patients. That is absolutely paramount.