Dr. Peter Boylan:

The removal of the distinction between health and the risk of death would certainly be very helpful in assisting women and their doctors to reach a decision. Ireland is a very safe place in which to give birth, but it is not the safest in the world. The margins are quite small, but it is a very safe place in which to give birth. However, if we did not have access to the United Kingdom, our maternal mortality rate would shoot up because women would access unsafe illegal back-street abortion services. That is undeniable. The best example is Romania when Ceauescu came to power, on which I have provided information in my position paper.

There is a nurse practitioner programme which allows nurses and midwives to gain prescribing skills. That happens in maternity units nowadays. As Professor Arulkumaran said, it is important that they have backup and a telephone number and so on.

On the issue of consent, the Deputy mentioned forced caesarean sections because of a concern about the condition of the baby. That is very rare. It does happen, but it is extremely rare and I am not really sure what the eight amendment has to do with that issue. It is more about a clinician's concern about a woman's capacity to make the decision to continue a pregnancy. These are pregnancies which are well into term - 38, 39, 42, 43 and 44 weeks - and which involve significant foetal concerns which are not related to termination of pregnancy.