Professor Veronica O'Keane:

That is the only study that has ever been done among pregnant Irish women. I cannot say that because I did not ask that question, but it is a sad fact that our rates of antenatal depression are higher than in other European countries, or at least that is what our research has indicated. In response to what I think Deputy Coppinger is asking, which relates to her previous point about lower socioeconomic status and socioeconomic disadvantage, rates of depression are higher and rates of unwanted pregnancy are higher in women who are socio-economically disadvantaged. When we are looking at depression and abortion needs, we are talking about the most vulnerable people. When we are looking at people who cannot travel, we are talking about the same group of marginalised very vulnerable people. They are the people we are turning our backs on. I do think we are also treating women who have the means in a very shoddy and humiliating way, but the women who bear the brunt of the constitutional ban on abortion here are the very vulnerable women.

In relation to the study, it could be interpreted that the lack of abortion in this country or the fact that our services are de factoin another jurisdiction does lead to higher rates of unwanted pregnancies and therefore higher rates of depression, but it could also be that our perinatal psychiatry services are very underdeveloped. I know that Dr. Anthony McCarthy is coming here in the near future to give evidence in relation to that because he works directly within that service, so I will leave that to him. We are woefully under-resourced here. Colleagues from around the world are gobsmacked at the situation. When they came to the conference in March they were absolutely amazed at the lack of health care services in perinatal psychiatry in Ireland. I do think the issues are connected. I think perhaps the entire mental health area is a no-go area because we are ignoring a very big problem. Once we allow ourselves to see that there is a need, embrace it and look for pragmatic solutions I think a lot of other services will follow.