Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Mr. Thompson mentioned young women, in particular, possibly having one or two children with serious disabilities or defects. To what extent is counselling available in the case of a woman or girl having a baby who proves eventually to have serious physical or mental or both sensory and physical difficulties? Does she receive counselling as to whether she has a pre-existing condition that might lead to a repeat of that?

Does she get adequate counselling and support in those circumstances to help her to make up her mind? Obviously there is a deep desire to have a normal baby. In the first instance, the woman may have had her baby with abnormalities in the knowledge that she wanted to have her baby anyway.