Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy and the House know, the Government has approved the heads of a Bill which is intended to protect the lives of women during pregnancy. Every year, thousands of women in Ireland give birth. It is a happy occasion and a cause of great joy. However, there are occasions when things go wrong, and in these cases women are entitled to know they will get the treatment which will save their lives, and the doctors who treat them also need to know their position is clear when they take action to save a woman's life during pregnancy. The heads of the Bill will be referred to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children. I invite Deputy McGrath to put the case he has made and the issues he has raised to the committee and take the opportunity when the Bill is before the House to make the case he has made. There will be a full debate on the Bill in the House. There will be a full discussion on the heads of the Bill at the Oireachtas committee and there will be plenty of opportunities for Deputy McGrath to make the points he has made and have them responded to by the Minister.

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