Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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It is purposely not defined in the legislation for the same reason I have not defined "reasonable opinion" or "good faith". It has to be about clinicians being able to make that decision. One of the flaws with the way we are having this conversation today, and it has been a constructive debate and this is the nature of Committee Stage, is that we are plucking a phrase from here or there in the Bill, but it is when we read the phrase in the total sentence that we get a greater understanding. There has to be the specialist doctor in respect of the condition the woman has. That person is the expert and knows that this will cause serious harm to her health. The specialist has agreed it with the woman and agreed it with the obstetrician and he or she forms the reasonable opinion. If I and the Deputy start defining too many words in this legislation, the risk is that we will do exactly what Deputy Coppinger says and put our doctors in straitjackets if it does not fit within those parameters. There are certain things that must be defined in the legislation and what does not need to be defined is left to clinicians making the decisions.