Ms Liz McDermott:

I meant that in the sense that the eighth amendment declares what this country stands for, that we uphold the right to life of all our citizens, all our human beings, unborn and born. There are circumstances in which medical intervention is required to save a woman's life, and we understand that. We understand that a woman may die in the event of her baby being ill or of her getting sick during pregnancy, but the eighth amendment is a positive, life-saving measure because it says we as a country stand for the rights of all our citizens. However, we cannot just have the eighth amendment and then leave women without the supports, and this is where we need to go forward. The eighth amendment has given some women a little time to come to terms with crisis or unintended pregnancies. It is a valuable tool for us to build on for the future to create a new vision for difficult pregnancies. Abortion is old. It is an old procedure and process and has created a lot of wreckage. We can do better, and the eighth amendment is a good starting point, but we need to provide proper supports.