Professor Veronica O'Keane:

I thank the Deputy for his questions. He is absolutely right. There have been three annual reports following the introduction of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act showing that three women with suicidal intent had the procedure in 2014, three in 2015 and one in 2016. I might have mentioned earlier that my view is that the women who are suicidal and who can travel are going to England. Why would they not? Why would anybody with the means stay here to be subjected to an inquisition before three specialists. Senior specialists are intimidating people. They usually do not live in the same place. They are interrupting their normal routine and such appointments will not usually be during working hours. It is a very difficult process. Why would people subject themselves to that when they can go to the UK? Going to the UK is shameful but a woman subjecting herself to that sort of repeated questioning is soul-destroying and humiliating.

The Deputy is absolutely right; many women are saying, "I'm distressed and potentially suicidal if I don't get this abortion. I'm leaving; I'm out of here." It is the women who cannot travel who become suicidal because they cannot do so. We are actually creating suicidal women and we are creating desperate women by means of this constitutional clamp. I wonder if we would have so many difficulties and so many tragedies regarding abortion if we did not have this clamp. Would situations escalate so quickly? I do not think they would.

That is one point. What was the Deputy's other question?