Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I took the opportunity to oppose the Bill when Deputy Clare Daly introduced it before and will oppose it again when the vote is called. A number of events have taken place since last April when the Deputy introduced the Bill. At the time the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, told the House that the report of the expert group would be brought before it. It has now been published and will provide clarity as to the options open to the Government which will be debated both in the Chamber and at the Joint Committee on Health and Children. For that reason, this is not the appropriate time to vote on a Bill dealing with matters covered by the report.

The Bill is flawed in many respects. There are no provisions to vindicate as far as practicable the right to life of the unborn. There are further concerns around the duty of a medical practitioner to consider whether the life of the foetus is capable of being preserved. Like many of my colleagues, I am deeply concerned that whatever is considered and passed after the Government has brought forward its proposals should deal with the following matters. There must be the maximum level of safety for pregnant women. The background is that Ireland is considered to be one of the safest places in the world in terms of maternity services and childbirth, something that is borne out by statistics and has already been noted by other speakers. There is a need to ensure any proposal from the Government is carefully debated and considered in order that our collective deliberations will lead to an outcome that will ensure the health and life of a pregnant woman are protected, while, at the same time, ensuring Ireland does not end up with an abortion regime similar to that in place in some European countries which, in effect, offer abortion on demand. I share this concern with many others in the House and look forward to the debate in the Dáil after the Government publishes its proposals.

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