Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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We are not as far apart on this as some members think. Nurses and midwives will have a role in caring for women in our health service accessing these services, as they do today,. There is no question in that regard. The 24-7 helpline, which I imagine will be the first point of call for many women in crisis, will be operated by nurses and midwives. I do not wish my comments to be misrepresented but nurses and midwives will have a role to play. Nurses and midwives just like doctors will have a right to conscientiously object which in and of itself is a recognition that they have a role to play in the care of the woman. The question comes back to the carrying out of the procedure. It is right and proper that my Department should keep these matters under review. It is right and proper that we do not do what was done in the UK, which is just pass legislation and leave it sitting on the Statute Book for years when other countries have more modern systems. We should review this legislation in a period of years.

We should embed what we said we would do and monitor closely how it works. A large amount of work is being done by the medical colleges, the Irish College of General Practitioners, ICGP, and the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in drawing up the model of care and care pathways. They are doing excellent work, and it is appropriate that they are doing that work and we are not.

This clear pathway needs to be agreed and embedded. I believe this to be the appropriate way to go, but I am happy to keep this issue under review. I recognise Deputy O'Reilly's points about nurse prescribers. In line with what I believe was the spirit of the all-party committee's report and what we said during the referendum, the most straightforward and logical thing to do is to have a doctor-led service where the doctor has to carry out the procedure. The nurse and midwife will have a role, as they do excellently on a daily basis elsewhere in our health service in terms of the care and well-being of the woman.

It would not be a good idea to accept these amendments. Taking Deputy O'Reilly's suggestion, I will review the submissions received from those two excellent organisations, which played a large role in advocating for change and looking after women's interests.