Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

I express my condolences to the family of the late Savita Halappanavar on her tragic and untimely death at University College Hospital, Galway. I support the Sinn Féin motion. It is vital that we obtain the full facts on Savita's death and the public must have confidence in any investigation or inquiry. At yesterday's meeting of the Joint Committee on Health and Children, I called for a full public sworn inquiry into this matter. I also support calls for same made by Savita's husband, Praveen, and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. The proposed Health Service Executive inquiry is a complete shambles. This is not find surprising as my experience of dealing with the HSE is that it is an arrogant organisation that is out of touch with reality.

I was surprised that the Minister for Health and Taoiseach signed off on an inquiry that is clearly not independent. Irrespective of the outcome of the inquiry, the Dáil must legislate without delay for the outcome of the X case. There is no reason to wait for the outcome of the inquiry. In 1992, the Supreme Court found that termination is lawful where a woman faces a real and substantial risk to her life and the outcome in the X case has been endorsed twice by the public in referendums. In 1992, the late Mr. Justice Niall McCarthy stated that legislation was well overdue. He noted that the "failure of the Legislature to enact the appropriate legislation is no longer just unfortunate; it is inexcusable." How much more inexcusable is the failure to legislate 20 years after Mr. Justice McCarthy made his remarks? The courts and citizens have spoken on this matter yet six successive Governments have failed to act. This Oireachtas and Government must take their responsibility seriously and introduce the required legislation without delay and on an emergency basis.

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