Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 6 November 2018

Select Committee on Health

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage

11:00 am

Photo of Bríd SmithBríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I will first make a general point and then ask a question. Given that we are re-running the debate of the referendum now, which may be repeated as we go through these amendments, I would like all of us to be aware that there is a job of work to be done for the women and the pregnant people of this country. We made a commitment to them. If we are going to keep re-running the debate we will do a complete disservice to the entire health service in Ireland, particularly in terms of women.

Interestingly, the amendment has not been ruled out of order. If it suggested that it could be unconstitutional and flies in the face of the spirit of the eighth amendment or, in removing the eighth amendment, that it is morally wrong and regrettable, then how was this amendment left in yet two amendments that called for the extension of services to people in Northern Ireland were ruled out of order? The refusal to extend the service to women who live fewer than 90 miles up the road should be more part of our debate about inclusivity rather than rehashing the long and tough debates that we have had for months and years in this country. This amendment should have been ruled out of order and the other two amendments allowed in.