Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I do not propose to add much to what I have already said. The expert group stated:

the role of the psychiatrist is key where a termination of pregnancy is prescribed as appropriate treatment in case of suicidal ideation/intent. There are recognised clinical challenges in correctly diagnosing expressed suicide intent, for instance, the absence of recognised clinical markers. Therefore, it could be argued that this is a more subjective process and requires more safeguards to be put in place for the protection of both the woman and the unborn. The need to keep up to date with clinical research on this issue is highlighted in the Medical Council Guidelines referred to in section 3.6.3 with a view to ensuring that the decision is evidence-based.

Among the options suggested in the report was:

to require that one of the medical specialists responsible for the decision-making process is an obstetrician in all cases, even when this expertise is not strictly relevant to the diagnosis. This option gives the obstetrician, as the health professional who is going to carry out the procedure, the capacity to acquire confirmation that the medical treatment is appropriately recommended.

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