Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This is a hugely difficult issue to deal with and I agree with the Taoiseach that we must wait for the facts to emerge about how and in what circumstances Savita died. I am drawing a distinction between that and the failure of the Oireachtas to give legal protection to women who are pregnant and legal clarity to our medical practitioners. We know from a different context in which families have campaigned that unless the families have ownership of the process or are treated in a way that allows them almost to own the process and to have confidence and trust in it, one ends up exacerbating the situation. I deduce from the Taoiseach's reply that the family might not have been consulted. I should not have to tease this out in this way. It is hugely important that the family know what is happening prior to it being publicly announced. This unfortunate woman died in the care of one of our hospitals at the end of October but it is now 20 November and two weeks have passed without any news about this tragic situation. The Government appears to be playing catch-up in the process. We have a very high standard of care but in a natural consequence of public disquiet, there should be a fully independent public inquiry which has the confidence and trust of the family.

My question is two-pronged. First, was the family given prior notice of what has just been announced? If not, could they be seen as a matter of urgency by whoever is appropriate to give them a sense of the Government's plans and to give them the opportunity to tell the Government how they wish to proceed?

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