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

On several occasions attempts were made to overturn the decision in the X case, both of which failed. We can all analyse why this happened but the people spoke. It is now abundantly clear that we need to act and to legislate. We need primary legislation and we will also require regulation.

Savita Halappanavar has, not surprisingly, been mentioned in the Chamber. The distressing element of this young woman's death is that she had lost her pregnancy and died at a time of such terrible distress. The public reaction to this from everybody, and particularly from women, was that one could place oneself in her position, which was a truly horrific circumstance. The occasions upon which a pregnant woman's life is in danger are, thankfully, very rare, but it falls to us as legislators to legislate for these very rare occasions. Far from this debate being led by what are called extremes, which is an unfortunate way of describing deeply and passionately held views, there is a bulk of public sentiment which is somewhere in the middle and understands that for the most important things in life there are no absolutes and no 100%. In legislating for the X case we legislate for restrictive measures at this time to protect women's lives and the medical profession on these very rare occasions.

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