Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

When the Committee on Health and Children held its hearings on this issue earlier this year, it did so in a very dignified and reasoned way. I expect that, in considering the content of the heads of the Bill, the committee will address it in the same reasoned way. As I said yesterday, it is important that this debate be conducted in a reasonable manner. Deputy Mattie McGrath has a point of view on the Bill and he will have plenty of opportunity to air his views at the Committee on Health and Children, of which he is a member, and in the debate here in the House. Those are the appropriate places for the issues he has raised this morning to be teased out in detail.

The Bill has been worked on for some time and is balanced and reasonable. It is within the confines of the constitutional provision, the judgment in the X case, and the judgment given by the European Court of Human Rights. There are obviously details that have to be, and will be, discussed here on the floor of the House and at the committee, including the issues that Deputy McGrath has raised this morning. In fairness, that is probably the best place to have that matter discussed. That is what the Oireachtas is for - to debate and discuss the detail of legislative proposals. I expect there will be plenty of opportunity to have the issues which Deputy McGrath raised - which related to detailed provisions in the Bill - fully teased out. There will be plenty of opportunity for that to be done.

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