Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I too heard the words of the now widower of Savita Halappanavar. His testimony was truly shocking and heart-breaking. Like the rest of the country I was not just upset and moved by what he had to say but I was also very angry. We have debated these matters for 20 years. This is probably the only jurisdiction on earth where urgency is defined by a delay of 20 years. I accept absolutely that there have to be inquiries into the precise circumstances of the death of Savita. We need the medical detail and we need a full account of it. I support that but I fear that we will hide behind reports and inquiries and we will kick the issue down the road yet again.

We do not need a report or an inquiry to tell us that the medical profession is left in legal limbo. We know that. Neither do we need a report or inquiry to tell us that as a result of that, women’s health and lives are left in jeopardy. We know that. It would be easy for us to point the finger at the Catholic Church, the medical profession, a particular hospital or the HSE, but the blunt truth is that the limbo exists because this House has failed to legislate. We now have the seventh Government that has not yet introduced the legislation to give effect to the Supreme Court judgment. The Oireachtas shows itself as a bit farcical when we find ourselves in those circumstances. Successive Governments failed to act.

The Tánaiste has not given the kind of clarity we need. Why has the Government not decided to publish the report? Why can he not say clearly that legislation will be brought forward to give effect to the Supreme Court judgment? He was not nearly so reticent prior to the previous election and for a long time. Our sympathies are with the family and the inquiries must take place, but we need action which must be speedy. No longer can anyone elected to this House or in the Government hide behind the failures of others or reports or inquiries. We need the legislation. I want to know when the Tánaiste will bring it forward.

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