Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the witnesses. I will address my questions to Ms Noeline Blackwell. I do not think there is any doubt in this room about the seriousness of rape, the trauma that it has on women, and it is vital that services are improved and that they see proper justice.

How does Ms Blackwell feel about people who are conceived in rape? I am thinking of Pam Stenzel and Ryan Bomberger. Ryan's story is well known because he is a human rights campaigner who has publicly thanked his biological mother for giving him a chance in life. I was struck by something he said, which is that we are all wanted by somebody. Similarly, Pam Stenzel recognised that her birth mother gave her life instead of aborting her. People like Ryan and Pam say they feel like second-class citizens when the question of abortion on grounds of rape arises, when they are made to feel as though there is no value on their lives before birth because of a crime committed by somebody else. How are they supposed to feel that they matter the same as others after birth? What would Ms Blackwell say to Ryan and Pam if they were in this room today? How would she reassure them that their lives were as valuable as anyone else's if the eighth amendment was removed, and abortion was allowed on grounds of rape?